Unexpected
by PandaDawgBE
Summary: What would you do if you witnessed someone being turned down in the middle of the park? Well, what Zelda had done was comfort the poor boy, known as Link. That was all she had done, she did not expect to want a friendship and grow fond of him. She knew she couldn't have been more than just a stranger, though, it never worked out—or so she thought. Zelink (Modern AU)
1. Prologue

**(Cover by: finnichang on tumblr)**

 **Hello, so this is my first time writing about anything Zelda, even more Zelink. This is set as the characters from BOTW, so if you want to imagine what they look like or sound like that's your cue lmao. But of course the characters, such as the champions, will be in this story, so that sets more of the botw setting, but in a modern sense.**

Zelda Bosphoramus: the daughter of the richest man in Hyrule, homeschooled and loves to study science and history. She's 17 and enjoys to venture out her home when she gets the chance, meeting new people and only having them end off as acquaintances for she can't leave her home very often, considering she has a strict father. Also, loves to read.

Link Faron: an average high schooler, quite charming to the ladies but very quiet and introverted until he finds trust in someone enough to open up to. Quite odd, for he is more on the secluded side and has more to his thoughts than you would think.

These two teens will meet, coming from different perspectives and lifestyle, mending a weird friendship and colliding as their two worlds meet.


	2. 1 - Encounter

"Bye!"

And there she was again, saying goodbye to a person she would likely never see again. Zelda let out a sigh as she started walking away from the person she had been a random conversation with. It was someone named Fi, and they conversed about the former royalty of Hyrule, the two seeming to have the same interest. Additionally, Zelda had the name of the former princesses. This had evolved the small conversation into a bigger one, like if Zelda was in any way related to the royalty from back then; all Zelda had told her was that she was just a normal girl who so happened to have the name Zelda.

Honestly, Zelda wasn't even sure if she was once a princess of the old age. The monarchy had ended over five centuries before.

She always avoided telling people she was the daughter of the richest man in Hyrule, even living in a mansion full of maids and servants, because she feared they would all only want to try and befriend her for the money her family had. So as a cover-up, she'd say she was just a junior who went to Hyrule High, studying in science and living on Hylia street, with most of the Hylians.

In actuality, though, she _did_ live on Hylia street, but in the humongous home people would call a "mansion", overlooking almost all the houses on the slight slope of the mountain with that big gate for an entrance. The truth of her school life was that she _was_ studying in science as an 11th grader, but the only problem was that she was homeschooled.

Also, if it weren't obvious by now, the reason people weren't all over Zelda was that people _did not know_ who she was. Everyone knew her dad, Rhoam, had a daughter, but they didn't know who she was, per se. All people knew was how she looked as a newborn; her name and current appearance were unknown.

It was like that because her father cared about her and wanted to protect her the best he could.

When she had turned 10 years old, he'd even asked her if she wanted to be publicly known. She simply declined because she wanted to experience life as an average girl without having people come up to her for being one of the most well-known people in Hyrule. She'd seen people go up to her father, which is why she hadn't seen him go out very often. It was usually the servants or maids doing what he needed from the outside because people didn't know the maids or servants.

Zelda had a light smile on her face as she strolled through Hyrule's central park, one of more popular parks in Hyrule. She glanced around as she took notice of the children, the families eating and having a small picnic out in the open near the benches close to the hoard of trees, the couples walking around and conversing as they held hands, obviously deeply in love…

 _Sigh…_ Zelda shook her head and started making her way toward the Fairy Fountain. _Love...such a foreign word and feeling._ Since Zelda did not really make friends from the outside, she'd never really felt something so deep for anyone; it all had just come out to being acquaintances or strangers all over again.

She shook her head again, trying to get those thoughts out of her head, and spotted the fountain. She basically bounded over to it, walking up the steps of pedals and looking into the pond of water. The reason this little pond of water was called the "fairy fountain" was because it was said that long ago there was once a fairy named Cotera in this very fountain-one of the few fountains left-helping the ancient Hero of the Wild, the Hylian champion of Hyrule, who came to her and fulfilled any wish he asked for… But, that was only just a saying, a rumor she couldn't help but want to believe was true.

Just like any other fountain, people throw a green rupee in and make a wish. But for the fairy fountains it is said that every wish positively comes true. Zelda grinned and pulled out a single rupee, closing her eyes and holding the rupee close to her. She wasn't going to take any chances, so she took her few seconds of silence to herself to make her wish. Afterwards opened her eyes and tossed the rupee into the pond, watching it descend down into the bottom of the water.

Zelda sighed happily, knowing that her wish coming true was a one in a million chance, but she was willing to just give it a shot since she had never had rupees with her to be able to do this.

The blonde teen sighed and turned around to face the park, taking in sight of all the people—a mix of Zoras, Hylians, Gerudos, etc. It was truly a wonderful sight. Zelda was going to sit down on one of the petals she was standing on, but she took notice of a Zora and a Hylian having a conversation off to the side near a tree close to the fountain. She knew it wasn't so polite to listen in on a conversation, even moreso one between two strangers, but the conversation was one she had never witnessed in person.

"I...I know we've been best friends since we were just little toddlers, Mipha, but...I-I have a confession to make…" The Hylian with light brown hair had spoken very softly, but she understood, and he bit his lip, fiddling with his hands and taking a few breaths.

Zelda slowly started to smile. Immediately she assumed that the young man was going to confess to the red Zora known as Mipha. She had read enough romance novels to assume this may be it.

"Well, out with it. What is it?" Mipha smiled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Her voice was faint as well, but Zelda still understood.

Zelda sat down and tried to make it seem like she wasn't paying attention to them, but she peeked as sneakily as she could.

The Hylian spoke up again. "I've...grown...to have, like... _feelings_ , for you." The boy looked up from the ground and grabbed the Zora's hands in his own. "W-will you...go out with me?"

Zelda bit her lip herself, feeling quite anxious despite there being a smile on her face. She was anxious this would go wrong, but the smile was one of interest, for she had never witnessed this type of scenario in person before, once again. To her, this was quite adorable. But, right as she saw the look on the Zora's face from afar, Zelda knew this would not end well.

"O-oh...Link...um...heh." The Zora seemed to have let out a sigh as she carefully removed her hands from the boy, now identified as Link, and said, "I…I'm very happy you feel that way...but...I...cannot reciprocate those feelings. I'm sorry."

Link, the Hylian, seemed to have deflated immensely. "Oh...I...I'm sorry."

"This...isn't going to make anything awkward between us, is it?" Mipha asked.

Link seemed to be in his own world, looking down at the grass and seemingly not able to face his best friend. Zelda wasn't sure if he had heard Mipha's question, but all she saw come out of him was a little shake of the head, maybe even a little "no", but she wouldn't have been able to hear it from her spot on the fountain.

"That's good. I'll see you later Link. I've got to get home… I'll see you at school." Mipha gave Link a small smile, even though he wasn't looking, and walked the opposite direction of where they were standing, walking toward the streets.

Zelda immediately felt sympathy for the boy named Link. She didn't know how heartbreak felt herself, but she could understand that it really was a slice to the heart. She waited a few seconds to make sure the female Zora was gone and then made her way over to the sulking Link, who was sitting against the tree with his knees up to his chest, his head in between them.

She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew she wanted to comfort him the best she could. She wanted him to feel better, even though the two did not know each other whatsoever. She stepped up beside him quietly, not sure if he heard her coming. Even if he did, he didn't show signs of interest.

"Hey," she softly said. She went down onto her knees and tentatively placed her hand flat on his back, feeling him flinch a little at the contact. But he relaxed as she started to rub small circles on his back. "Hey, are you okay?" She knew he wasn't, but it wouldn't hurt to ask to see if he'd be honest about it. Likely not, considering he didn't know who she was.

Link looked up from the ground and turned over to the Hylian girl who was kneeling beside him. He didn't answer but only stared at her.

"I saw what happened… I'm sorry if it irks you that I did but I couldn't help it, I was really close by." Zelda saw a shift in his expression, but she kept her gaze strong on his. It took a few seconds, but a little nod came from him instead of a verbal answer.

Zelda frowned and sat down on her bottom on the grass beside him, facing him. She moved her hand from his back to his shoulders and shook him a little, in a friendly way. "I'm not sure if that was an answer to my question, but if it was...I know you're not fine. I've...personally never gone through heartbreak like this before, but it's obvious you love her so much. I can't _imagine_ , but I can understand the pain you're going through right now."

Link just stared at her, his mouth opening with a little gap between his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but he just sighed and nodded, closing his mouth.

 _A better thanks than nothing._ Zelda smiled slightly and stood up, extending her hand out to Link. "Come on."

Link curiously looked up at the mysterious blonde towering over him, glancing at her outstretched hand. He raised an eyebrow.

Zelda let out a sigh and pulled her hand out a little more to emphasize her meaning. "Get up. Let's go, I'm taking you out for ice cream."

For the first time in forever, Link finally spoke out. "...why?"

Zelda inwardly groaned, but she explained her reasoning. "Well, for one, you can't be moping around all day waiting for a miracle to happen. And two, I know we don't know each other at all, but I want to try and make your day better. Come on, let's go." In the end, she let out a smile that seemed brighter than the sun at that moment.

Link was hesitant, but he grabbed her hand and hoisted himself up with her help. With more light than there had been while sitting under the shade, Zelda noticed that his eyes were swollen-looking and red, and his nose was red as well. Zelda started to feel a million times worse for the kid; he loved that Zora so much as to even cry over her.

"Alright, let us start venturing over to Tarrey's Ice Cream." Zelda smiled and grabbed his wrist, leading him the way over to the little, but lively and full, ice cream shop over near Tarrey Town.

Link was being half-dragged behind the blonde he never got the name of, but since she was ahead of him she never got to see the small smile he had.

 **Hi so this is officially the first chapter, likely not the best but we are getting there :) I'm quite enjoying this, I'm having fun writing this. Chapters may not come out very often but I will try, because school can be a big pain. I hope this chapter was enjoyable (: continuation of zelink's encounter will be next chapter. I apologize for any mistakes.**

 **Thanks for reading :D Till next time.**


	3. 2 - Conversing

"So, what's your name?"

Zelda was the one initiating a conversation between them, and despite already having known Link's name she didn't want to make it seem like she knew it at all. So she was going for the "name grabbing", a perfect start for a conversation.

"Link." Link nodded as he introduced himself and Zelda swore there was a slight smile on his face but she couldn't be so sure. She hadn't seen him smile yet. She wanted to make him smile at least once that day because they would have to part for good after this and it would make her day to know she made his day better, at least for a little.

"Well, Link, my name is Zelda. Has anyone ever told you that your name is the same as the Hero from centuries ago?" Zelda knew it was such a big question in such little time, but ever since hearing that his name was Link she couldn't wait to ask him at least once.

"Um...I'm aware...b-" Link was going to say more but Zelda grinned widely and had a bounce to her step as she moved in front of him and started to walk backwards so she could face him, her arms excitedly behind her back as she started to ramble on.

"So you're aware? Did you know there were many incarnations of the Hero? He was once the Hero of Time, the Hero of Twilight, The Hero of Skies and Legend, etcetera! _And_ it's apparent the most recent and last Hero was the Hero of the Wild, also known as Hero of Hyrule, for he saved all of Hyrule. It was rumoured he was the princess's appointed knight and had died trying to protect her from these machines called Guardians!" Zelda was really grinning at that point, not able to stop herself for she was finally in her zone, ranting on about what she knew about back then because it really piqued her interest.

Link wasn't sure what to say, not knowing if he should call Zelda bubbly, nerdy, geeky, annoying, chatty, or _—_ dare he even say it _—_ even cute with how much she was interested in the old age wars and tales. He'd never really met anyone who had been so interested into the tales from back then about their land of Hyrule. To him, she was rather interesting despite having known her for less than twenty minutes. Sure, he'd known and _knew_ many people in his life who were different in their own sense, but so far this Zelda girl was giving him weird vibes. Even more, after a heartbreak like that, he never expected anyone to come up to him like that. That was why he mentally prepared himself before he even confessed to Mipha.

He shook his head and smiled as he focused his attention back on Zelda, hearing what she had to say.

"-and he did all these things and quests to try and regain his memories!" Zelda's smile did not die down even one bit during her ramble.

Zelda's eyes brightened a little as she saw a smile on Link's face, though she was not sure what to make of it. She didn't dwell on it, thinking he was probably thinking of someone else, likely interested, or getting annoyed by her continuous talking.

She laughed nervously and brought a hand up to scratch her cheek as she kept walking in front of him and facing him, completely forgetting she was walking backwards and not aware what was behind her. "I'm sorry. Heh...I may get a little carried away without knowing it. I deeply apologize if it may come out as irritating. I do it quite often, but I can't really stop myself unless you tell me straight to my face to shut up."

Link just stared at Zelda, a slight tilt upwards to his lips. He shook his head and finally spoke up. "It's alright, really."

Zelda jumped in her step and smiled so wide Link thought she would hurt her cheeks, wondering if she was usually this smiley.

He then saw that there was a pole coming up behind her so he quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, pulling her slightly to the side.

Zelda turned a little red in embarrassment from this action. She didn't expect Link to have to save her from that, but at least it was better than getting hit at all. She stopped in her tracks and faced Link, both on the curb to cross the street to head in the direction of Tarrey Town. "T-thank you."

Finally getting a good look at Link as he nodded in thanks, Zelda noticed just how handsome he actually looked. She also noticed that he had his hair tied up in a ponytail to keep it contained. She smiled a little, noticing how he was at least two or three inches shorter than her. _He's likely fifteen...but I can't be so sure. For all I know he's probably older, just a wee bit short._

Moving on, Zelda nudged Link to get him to move with her across the empty street. "Okay, let's keep walking. Tarrey Town is right over here."

Link jogged up to catch up to her and slowed to a stop once he made it to her side, his eyes not once leaving her. He was curious about who she was, because he wasn't sure if she went to the school he did; he'd never seen her before. _Maybe she's in college now, or just not at school anymore...or another school. I dunno, she seems older than me. But, then again, I am short._

"Link, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Link chuckled as he raised an eyebrow in response. "Why would I mind? You've already told me almost the whole story of the land from long ago."

Zelda smiled again and thought to herself before asking her question. _I honestly love when he talks to me, he's very quiet. And that's the most he's said to me! Hah!_ "How old are you?"

Staring at her for a few seconds, he gave her his answer. "I'm seventeen. You?"

"Oh! You're the same age as me!" Zelda was really interested. She hadn't met someone like Link before and she was curious about who he was. She wanted to know the most she could before they went their separate ways. "Birthday?"

"July 26th. Yours?"

"November 23rd. So you're quite a bit older than me, aren't you?"

Link smiled. "Seems so."

He looked straight ahead and focused on walking over to where Zelda was taking him _—_ Tarrey Town. He'd honestly never been there, but he was quite close to Jackson _—_ an apparent descendant of his ancestor who had founded Tarrey Town _—_ because he helped Jackson build the successful ice cream shop.

Link turned his gaze over to Zelda, who seemed to be in her own world as she gazed around the area, in awe of everything. It was as if it was her first time seeing the world outside. He scoffed a little and shook his head, once again. "Hey, Zelda."

Zelda became alert and turned to look at Link, realizing that was the first time he'd said her name. "Yes?"

"Have you ever been in this area before? You seem so, like, amazed." He tilted his head to the side.

Zelda looked down a little, refusing to shake her head but her body thought otherwise. She was usually embarrassed when people caught on to her admiring the view, but this was the first time someone actually asked her this question. "Well…sort of?"

"Now I have another question. May I ask?"

Zelda nodded eagerly, happy to have Link speaking to her. "Yes, go ahead."

Link nodded and took time before he got it out. "Where are you from? Are you new here…? Because...I've not seen you around before and your lack of familiarity is making me even more curious."

 _Curious?_ Zelda had a pink tint to her cheeks, but she still managed to answer his question. "I've actually lived here my whole life. I mean, I'm not exactly new. It's just…" A sigh came out of her. She could just say she had a strict parent but she didn't want to seem like one of _those_ kids, especially since she was seventeen now. She should've been able free to roam a while ago.

"It's just...what? I'm sorry. Is it a sensitive topic?"

Zelda saw how Link started to feel bad and immediately took action. "No, no! Don't worry, it's not really sensitive. It's just...I guess you could say I have a strict father."

"Oh…" Link sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well...how much do you know your way around?"

Zelda flushed a little, kind of shy to admit the truth. "Well...honestly...the only place I know is central park… My father doesn't let me go out much."

"Really?! You've been here for _seventeen_ _years_ and _central park_ is all you've been to?!" Needless to say, Link was really shocked, as well as a little angry. Link shook his head, an angry pout on his face. _Her father doesn't even let her venture out further than she wants? Has she ever even gone to Tarrey Town? Does her mom even have a say in this?_

"Um...yeah...but also, no. Sometimes, when I'm feeling a little daring or angry at my father I do go places elsewhere...which is basically just Tarrey Town. The people there are so nice!"

Link felt visibly and mentally better that she did do what she pleased at times. _Good that she's at least not so caged in._ "Well, then how about I take you around to explore after we get ice cream? What time do you have to be home?"

"Oh, no, that's fine you don't have to do that, really." Zelda smiled. "You really don't, it's okay."

"Why not? It's the most I can do, especially since you're doing all of this to comfort me from something that you could've easily avoided. Not really anyone would've done what you did." Even more," Link laughed, "take them out for ice cream on the first day of meeting them in the middle of a park."

Zelda was quiet after his words. She supposed he may be right, but she couldn't help but feel like she'd be bothering him with all this wandering around. Then again, the two still hardly knew each other. "But...I don't know...I mean, it would be nice but-"

"Then it's settled." Link smiled brightly, grabbing onto Zelda's forearm and leading her to the ice cream shop that was about five minutes away by that point. "The sooner we get there, the more we can explore."

Zelda tried to catch up to his pace, but she couldn't deny it. If it made him happy, as she was seeing now, she would do it. It wouldn't be bad anyway. She laughed and grinned. "Okay then, Link. Lead the way."

* * *

"Thank you, Jackson!" Zelda licked at her ice cream with a smile as she and Link walked over to the door.

"We'll see you later!" Link smiled genuinely and licked at his own ice cream, opening the door for Zelda. "After you, Princess."

Zelda blushed, not expecting Link to call her "princess". Nonetheless, she smiled and played along with a curtsy as she walked out the door. "Why thank you, my dear Prince."

Link smirked as he heard the door close with a jingle when he walked alongside Zelda in the open area of Tarrey Town. "I prefer 'knight', my beloved Princess Zelda."

Zelda laughed, getting his joke. "You know Link _,_ " she said, licking her ice cream _,_ "I really did not think we would hang out this long, much less go out for a cone of ice cream." _And I wasn't so sure you would even speak so freely to me, considering how quiet you were at first._ But of course, Zelda kept that thought to herself. She felt good knowing she might be making Link's day better.

Link smiled a little, gazing at the blonde beside him. "Neither did I, but life has all kinds of surprises, y'know?"

"You're right, you're right. This one was very surprising indeed." Zelda laughed a little. "So, where are we going to go now?"

Link grinned. "First, we wander freely. But I have a question, what school do you go to? I...go to Hylia High."

Zelda started to fumble with her words, not sure what to say since she usually used Hylia High as an excuse. So all she could muster up was, "I-I _used_ to go there."

"Used to? What happened?" With a tilt of the head, Link was really curious.

"Um...just something happened so I moved schools. I go to Nayru High now." Her own lie seemed promising enough to her.

"Ah… Would you mind me asking what happened…? Or is it a personal reason?"

Zelda shook her head as she saw Link finish his cone with a few last bites, hers still only half-eaten. "I suppose it's a little personal. Really, though, do not worry." She gave him a small smile. "It's alright."

Link didn't seem too convinced, but if Zelda said it was quite personal then he'd drop it. He didn't want to evade in her personal life if it would make her uncomfortable.

It became silent as Link eyed Zelda while she admired their surroundings and enjoyed her almost-finished ice cream. There was something about her that gave him a sort of…"princess-y" feel, which was mostly why he had called her princess. He knew of the old age story, half from Zelda and half from history or research he had done. He knew of the Princess Zeldas from back then, and as well as the Links. He was not exactly sure what they had all looked like, but from Googling and doing some more research a while back he had noticed how similar he looked to the Link who was the last Hero from centuries ago. Now he thought back to Zelda _—_ whom he had just met that day _—_ and he noticed that she _did_ look eerily similar as well to the last Princess from long ago. Even her way of speaking had given him that royalty vibe, but he was well aware that royalty itself ended hundreds of years before. But, he could not deny that Zelda did have some beauty in her _._ She was fit to be a princess herself if monarchy was still a thing to that day _._

He inwardly sighed. He was still not over Mipha; he really wasn't. He didn't know how he'd even face her at school the day after...but...he couldn't help but accept that hanging out with Zelda—a complete stranger—was making him feel ten times better than he was when being rejected. He smiled visibly without knowing it, his gaze still on Zelda's bright and charming smile as she saw two Goron children having fun and playing. He became alert and immediately turned red when he saw Zelda abruptly turned her head to him, hoping she didn't catch him staring. "W-wha-"

"I've never seen Gorons in person before! They look so magnificent! Wow!" Zelda was laughing out of excitement and she grasped onto Link's arm to contain herself from basically running over and chatting with the little Gorons. She didn't want to interrupt them, though, especially because they were probably told "don't talk to strangers."

The blonde teen sighed and turned to Link again, seeing that he was completely stiff, his face entirely red. "Hey, are you okay? I'm sorry if I scared you or anything. I'm just... _really_ interested in things I've not seen before."

Link shook his head briefly and kept walking, Zelda still holding onto his bicep. So he basically dragged her along. "Y-you didn't really scare me...I'm just...uh…" Link flushed even more. He was a pretty bashful kid, very unused to girls touching him like Zelda was. Yes, some girls did get touchy when they hit on him in a public place, but they all left once they realized how quiet and unresponsive he really was. It was mostly why he became best friends with Mipha—she still stood with him no matter how he was. It took her a while to gain Link's trust and have him talk to her freely, but it wasn't a problem with her. This is why he ended up falling for her. He sighed out loud and quietly said, "I'm just really shy." It was just loud enough so that Zelda could hear; he was hoping she didn't, though.

To his dismay, she had heard what he had said and immediately burst into fits of giggles. "Oh my Din, really?!"

Link looked off to the side and flushed more, turning into a burning mess when Zelda leaned onto him and held him for support as she laughed to herself. "Goddesses, that's so cute!"

That's when Link started to sweat. "H-huh?!" He stared at her with a heated face, her own becoming heated as she stopped laughing out of nowhere and realized what she had said.

"W-wait! I didn't mean it! I-I mean, I did- b-but—gah!" Zelda stopped stuttering and spazzing out while letting go of Link and making some space between them. "I'm sorry...I, uh…didn't really mean to say that out loud…"

Link laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, his face still red but dying down. "That's okay, honestly. I've just never...had any girls really...like...hold me the way you were…"

"Oh…" Zelda herself turned red again and looked at the ground where they stood. "S-sorry if it made you uncomfortable. I was pretty close, wasn't I?"

"N-no! Don't worry, if anything I-" Link shut his mouth so fast Zelda would've never been able to even hear the next letter coming out of his mouth. He shook his head and bit his cheek. "I-it's okay...honestly! It really is!" He started to chuckle in between his words, trying to make the situation light so that the blonde in front of him didn't feel awkward about it.

Zelda took a breath and nodded, continuing on forward. "Okay then. So, where will you be escorting me, Mr. Knight?"

Link smiled and had caught up with her again, his arm bent and extended out to her and waited for her to loop her own through it, which she had done after realizing what he was implying with that action. They both laughed. "Somewhere I like to call my second home, your majesty."

 **Hi :) second chapter done. I hope this was okay, mind you this is my first fanfic about Zelda in general so I'm just hoping it came out alright. I have to get to school now, but the next chapter should be out soon :) I hope whoever made it this far is at least enjoying the story, I am sorry for any mistakes. As well that this is short, I plan to make chapters a bit more longer soon.**

 **Till next time :)**


	4. 3 - Second Home

Link was not even sure what it was he was doing. _Linking arms with a stranger and taking them to the place he goes to when he needs time to himself?_ _Doesn't that just come off as a little crazy? Bizarre, even?_

Using his free hand, he checked the time on his phone. Seeing as it was about 4:30 PM, the two would have enough time to make it to his little cove. He put his phone away and glanced to the side to look at Zelda. She was getting all excited as she saw the many races wandering around the area. Watching that had caused Link to smile a little.

 _She's like a little kid going through a toy store for the first time._ He frowned a little as he started wondering to himself, then bit his lip and looked away from Zelda. C _an I trust her?_

He sighed and looked at her fully and he couldn't help but smile when he saw how... _bright_ Zelda looked at that moment. _I can trust her…_ Zelda turned to him and grinned broadly, a glint in her eyes he knew he'd be familiar with. ... _right?_

"Link, I've never been so... _amazed_ in my whole life! Sure I've read and seen things online about everyone in Hyrule but _seeing them_ with my own eyes?!" Zelda started laughing as she gazed around wordlessly, shaking her head with a dumbfounded smile on her face. "Just brilliant."

Link started to feel giddy himself, wondering if their next destination would ignite this amount of excitement. "Well then, Zelda...if that amazes you, then I'm sure you'll enjoy where I'm taking you."

"But, Link, shouldn't we explore more around the main Hyrule area before we go to the place you call your 'second home'?" Zelda tilted her head as she pulled on Link's arm a bit, which was around hers.

Link shrugged. He grinned as he started to jog in a direction of which Zelda hadn't been aware, going through unfamiliar areas and passing by many different people. "I'm sure you'll love it more than these areas!"

Zelda sighed just a little, but she smiled just a bit. "Where is it we are going anyway?"

"It's a surprise, Princess." Link knew the Zelda he was with at that moment was not a princess, but that name was starting to stick to him, as well as on Zelda.

As the two made way through the whole center of Hyrule, Link stopped once they reached an entrance to a forest. It had taken them about ten minutes at most since they had been practically running.

 _A forest?_ Zelda tilted her head to the side as she unlinked her arm from Link's. She also noticed that there was hardly anyone there.

"Link, a forest?"

Link nodded with a smile on his face, one a little kid would have when showing their parents something of which they were proud. "Mm-hm! And I want you to trust me. I know we just met today, but I want you to trust me while we go through here. Mind you, I'm a 17-year-old teenage boy who loves swordsmanship and chivalry, not a 40-year-old midget who fakes a scene to lure in little girls and kidnaps them."

Zelda let out a loud laugh at Link's words, but she did catch on to his description of himself. "You love chivalry and swordsmanship?"

Flushing a bit, Link nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. He hadn't really meant to let that out, considering he had been pretty embarrassed to tell even Mipha about his favorite hobby at first. "Yeah...pretty appropriate if you think about it."

Zelda laughed again and with a nod of her head she said, "And you are right about that." _And that is adding on to the cute, adorable side of you, Link._

Zelda felt herself deflate internally, but she didn't want to show it. She knew she wouldn't ever see Link again. Not after this. After this, they would be parting ways and eventually become mere strangers again. She doubted Link would want any of her information to try and contact her, but she had never been this adventurous with anyone, nor stuck with them for _this_ long. It scared her how attached she was becoming to his presence.

"Hey, Zelda, you okay?" Link tapped her cheek and furrowed his brow. "You look kinda down. I didn't do anything, did I?"

"No! You didn't do anything, Link, trust me!" Zelda became alert, not wanting Link to feel bad over her and blame himself. "I was just thinking of something, but it really had nothing bad to do with you, promise."

Link didn't seem convinced, but he let it go with a smile and a firm nod before he grabbed Zelda's hand and walked with her into the entrance. But, before he did that, he asked, "Zelda, you trust me now, right?"

Zelda nodded without hesitation. "Yes."

Link grinned and kept moving forward. "That's great. So trust me when I say this. Keep hold of my hand or you'll get _lost_. Okay?"

Zelda nodded in confirmation, but she was really curious about why she would get lost. Either way, she still did as he said.

The two ventured on forward, Zelda immediately noticing the amount of fog in their way. "Is this normal?"

Link felt Zelda's hand tighten around his hand and he laughed. "Yes, but don't worry. I know my way around. If you really did your research, I'm sure you'll know where I'll be taking you."

"Okay, but what _is_ this place?" Zelda tried to squint to see if she can see any farther than just Link, but to no avail; just a bunch of muffled trees

With a grin and a side glance to Zelda, Link said, "This, Zelda, is the Lost Woods."

"What?! The Lost Woods?!" Zelda's hand slackened a little as she was about to let go out of excitement, but Link held her firmly.

"Yup!" Link waited a bit on on the spot he was on and watched the wind carefully, moving once he saw what direction it was moving toward. "Long ago, it was apparent that the Hero of the Wild had come by here and retrieved the sword that seals the darkness. Pretty awesome if you ask me."

"Oh! Do you know where he retrieved it?!" Zelda was a bounding Hylian with excitement running through her very being. She could not believe her ears, she thought the area Link was taking her through was just a myth! And now, she was hearing the Resurrected Hero once came by there?! _Absolutely baffling!_

Zelda couldn't help herself. She held onto Link's arm and stuck close to his side, unable to contain her excitement. All the historic research she had done actually still existing to that day and in front of her very own eyes made her feel like a little kid once again.

Despite his blush from how close the girl was to him, Link still answered the best he could, stopping to look at the wind's direction. "If I recall, it was in front of something called the...Deku Tree? I believe so."

"Do you think it's gone? I mean, it's been _way_ over a few centuries."

Link had a smirk to his face, but he kept his cool as he moved on with the fog. " _Maybe_ it is, we never know. I doubt anyone's destroyed it, even _I_ can barely make it through these woods. Without the proper research done or exploring on how to be able to get through these woods, it's positive you are a goner. Well...the rumor says if you get lost in these woods you turn into something called a Skeleton Kid? Skull Kid? I don't know, something like that. No one's completely positive on the name- ah! Here we are!" Link's rambling turned into one of complete joy, as he realized the two had made it to the destination. Fog was still in the way, but he knows it was where they needed to stop.

"Now, Zelda, close your eyes for me. _No peeking_ , alright?" Link smiled. "I'm positive you'll know what this area is."

Zelda frowned. "But I wanna see."

Link laughed and patted the arm that was holding onto his. "Don't fret, you will see in a few seconds after I say you can open them."

Groaning, Zelda complied anyways and placed her free hand over her eyes. "Don't lead me to a hoard of gang leaders, please."

Link laughed out loud and shook his head, walking forward out of the fog with Zelda on his arm. "As if I'll ever do that to the _Princess._ "

"Oh shut it, Link." Even though her words came out sharp, there was playfulness in it with a small smile.

A few seconds of silence commenced with a few steps and Link guiding Zelda to the entrance of the area he held dear the most.

"Alright…" Link stopped his movements and held Zelda in place. "Would you like a hint as to where we are right now?"

"Hmm…yes. When can I open my eyes?"

"In a moment. Where we are is where these little creatures who were very small and looked like wooden little people used to live. Always had these weird masks that seemed to be made of leaves. Ring any bells?"

It took Zelda a few moments to get it, but a sharp gasp overtook her. "Don't tell me-"

Link shut Zelda up by carefully taking her hand off her eyes and unwound her arm from around his, a broad smile plastered onto his face as Zelda took in the sight before her. "This, Zelda, is where the Koroks had used to live. I'm sure you know about them, right?"

Zelda nodded excitedly as she turned to look at Link. She wanted to hug him so bad but she didn't want to push their boundaries and make things awkward—they're still people who've met not even a few hours ago. Instead, to keep herself restrained, she grasped onto the fabric of his green hoodie on his shoulders tightly and jumped up and down a little. "Yes! I've seen a few semi-correct drawings of what they had looked like decades ago and they're just so cute! This is where they had lived?!"

Link nodded and felt really good about himself at that moment. "Precisely. This is what you call Korok Forest. Obviously the Koroks are now extinct, unfortunately...but…" Link smiled and grabbed Zelda's wrist as he walked and had her follow him as he showed her the trees around them. "When I was younger I had come over here to explore, I loved exploring. I made sure to not get lost, and from going on the internet all the time researching about this place I didn't find much resources. _But_ , I was told by my aunt Impa that she heard 'following the wind' is what seemed to be the answer. Thus—" he gestured to all around him—"you and me being here at this very moment proved that."

"Incredible," Zelda breathed out. She looked around shortly before coming back to the boy in front of her. "Where do you hang out at? You come here a lot, don't you?"

"Yup. And…" Link looked down at the green ground below him and kicked a speck of dirt. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Where I hang out at is usually where I and Mipha, the girl I had confessed to a while ago, always hung out…" Link sighed. "Don't worry, though," he said once Zelda opened her mouth to apologize, "if you were going to say sorry or whatever, don't. We're here to get my mind off of that rejection, right?"

Zelda nodded.

"Then let's go and do that, because for sure it's working out already!" Link laughed and bounced off into a jog, pulling Zelda with him.

"Whoa! W-wait where are we going?!" Zelda tried to catch her footing, and whilst she was in the middle of doing so Link answered her question with a bit of energy. "My hangout! A.k.a, my home away from home!"

Surprised by his energy, Zelda stared at the back of Link's head as she ran along with him and her thoughts started to skyrocket: _Link seems to be so much more comfortable with me compared to the first few minutes when we've first even talked to each other… He was so...secluded. He never even said one word! But now? He's even started to ramble on just like I do! And I always ramble on to whoever lets me 'cause I don't notice when I do. But Link didn't even say full sentences till, like, halfway through our journey together. Oh dear, what will father say about this?_

Link made a turn, ripping Zelda's thoughts from her and the two seemed to be standing in front of a tree, one with an opening inside.

"Before we enter, I want to let you know that the first time I had come here was when I was about ten-ish. So please, don't make fun of the me _present_ if you see what's carved around the inside," warned Link as he let go of her wrist.

Zelda laughed and nodded, feeling bubbly. "Inside we go?"

Link nodded once and walked into the tree itself, Zelda following after. Immediately right away, she noticed that there was almost everything as wooden furniture, excluding the cushions on the wooden couch and bed. She as well had noticed the carvings from afar, but she didn't see clearly as to what they were so she didn't mention it. "Whoa… This is all wood?"

Link smiled and gave a little nod, bashful at Zelda's reaction. "Yeah...I've carved out the couch and table mostly. I actually have food in here because there's a mini fridge somewhere in the next room."

" _You_ did this? All of it?" Zelda was starting to become even more interested in Link himself, he seemed to know so much more than he seemed to put out there and was a lot more talented than expected.

"Well, I had the help of Mipha but I think she had just bought the mini fridge and food while I was making the 'house' itself. Before I had met Mipha, though, there was this...friend, I guess, I used to always bring before something happened and they just...I don't know, went away, I guess." Link rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "But, that'll be a story for another time. For now, let me give you a background of this area." Link walked over to the makeshift couch and sat down on it, patting the space on the padding beside him.

Zelda caught his meaning and went and sat down herself, putting as much space as she can as to not make it awkward for him; approximately about two feet because the couch was not that long.

"So, where do I being…?" Link seemed to think to himself before snapping his fingers and turning to Zelda. "Got it! Alright, so when I had first come here this whole area," he moved his arms around to indicate he _was_ meaning the whole area, "was full of moss and bugs and it was almost just an empty little cavern. But, when I found it in myself to take the time to clean it and dust off the whole area, it looked more like a little shopping center. Don't know what it was for, but maybe the Korok also had their own little lifestyle to live by."

A chuckle came out of the both of them, Link continued. "But, I had kept the bed I found here. It was sturdy and the only comfortable thing here, despite it being over five hundred years old, likely. But I did do a little tweaking to it, which was basically just the padding under it."

"Wow… So some parts of history still do exist, huh?" Zelda leaned back against the couch and smiled as she looked around.

"Apparently so." Link smiled as he watched Zelda admire his little home, feeling really proud of himself. He realized he was staring a little longer than intended, so he pulled out his phone and checked the time. 5:45 PM. _Dang, already? Man..._

"Hey, Zelda, when should you be heading home? I mean, we do have school tomorrow. It'll take us about half an hour or so to get back to central park so we can go ahead and head to our homes."

Zelda groaned outwardly. "Nooo! Is it really that late?" She pouted and crossed her arms. She mumbled, "We just got here, too…" _This isn't fair! I was really having fun._

Zelda saw how Link had smiled in her direction with an amused stare, which made her blush but she still kept moping to herself. _I don't want to go… I don't even have a phone with me right now so I can't take pictures of these areas or even ask for Link's contact information… I don't even have a phone, period._

"Hey, don't be so gloomy! Come on." Link stood up and held his hand out as he moved in front of Zelda, a smile on his face. "Let's go. I'll bring you back sometime again."

 _But what if there's never an "again"?_ "...fine." Zelda grabbed his hand and pulled herself up, their hands clasped together as they started to walk out.

 _I think I'll just keep this as a secret from my father...for now, at least,_ Zelda thought.

* * *

On the way back from the woods it had taken them about forty minutes or less, but the two hadn't said much since leaving the forest because they were both equally caught up in their thoughts while unknowingly still holding hands.

They reached their destination sooner than expected, standing in the middle of the park that was holding less people than when they were first there.

"I guess this is goodbye?" Zelda said, but more like asked. She really did not want to go, she was hesitating so bad to head back to her home, one she views as a prison/home. She was hardly able to leave and she hated that, she was always supposed to obey everything her father said.

"Maybe...we can exchange numbers?" Link was asking calmly on the outside but on the inside, and slightly on the outside, he was burning red. He had never really asked a girl for their number the way he was doing so at that moment.

"Oh...u-uh...you see...I don't really have a phone…" Zelda looked down at their clasped hands and her face turned red softly. She shook it off and released her hand from his, moving it back to her side.

"You don't? Why?"

"Uh…" _Excuse, excuse, excuse_ _—_ "I accidentally broke it when I was doing an experiment in my lab room." _Eh, good enough_.

"Lab room?" Link raised an eyebrow curiously. "You have a lab room?"

Zelda nodded and looked at Link, staring into his cerulean irises. _He has really nice eyes._ "Yeah. I like to experiment and mess around while doing science...and stuff…"

"Ah...but...how will we talk then? Do you at least have some form of contact?"

"Uh…" _I have an email...but...that's too cheap, isn't it? Does he even use email?_ "I...I have an email…"

"Ah, perfect! Better than nothing, right?" Link smiled and grabbed a marker from his hoodie pocket. "Don't ask why I have a marker, I just bring it a lot because there are times I like to draw on the trees or inside my little cavern. Can I see your hand?"

Zelda nodded and held out her hand, Link smiling and then writing down his email onto the palm of her hand. She giggled a little. "Link, that tickles."

Link laughed as well and continued writing, focused on writing clearly. "Don't worry, almost done."

After a few more seconds, Link finally finished and he closed the marker and placed it back into his pocket. "Done."

Zelda looked at her hand and laughed a little. "Really? Linkthehylianknight123?"

Link blushed and looked off to the side. "Don't judge me, I was, like, thirteen when I made that...I thought it was cool. Besides, it's kind of accurate in a historic sense."

Zelda laughed and nodded her head. "Okay then, Link the Hylian Knight."

"Shut it, Zelda." Just like Zelda said to him, he did the same and had a little sharpness to his tone, but as well as playfulness which had caused Zelda to smile.

"I really hope this day has gotten better for you, Link. Honestly, this is the most fun I have ever had. And the most I've explored. Even though I was supposed to be the one to make you feel better, you did the most and I kind of feel bad but I'm also glad I had this experience."

Link grinned and crossed his arms. "Zelda, you've actually made my day much more than just 'better'. It was amazing, to say the least."

Zelda felt so much better and her mood went above the clouds as she found out she did help Link, in more ways than one. She smiled softly. "I suppose this is goodbye? I don't know if I'll ever see you again…"

She saw Link bow down, his arm hovered over his stomach while his other arm was behind him as he bent forward slightly, his words being, "Till next time, Princess Zelda."

Zelda chuckled and curtsied, pretending to have on a dress. "Farewell, my brave knight."

The two shared a laugh as they parted ways, the two feeling content with their day. As they walked away from one another, they did not know they have so much more to discover and a lot more unexpected events coming their way, for the two do not know they have more importance to each other than they would have never imagined.

 **Hello, hello. Thank you all for 10 favorites and 11 followers on this fanfic :) Even if that just a little I am still grateful to have just one person reading this, let alone 5 or more :) I'm really hoping you guys are enjoying this. Remember, this is just the beginning. I am also not sure how many chapters this will have, but I will try to make this story exciting and interesting aside from just fluff and whatnot. There will not be much Zelink moments because the two are still seeing each other as strangers, even more Zelda. And Link is still not over Mipha, so this will be a little bit of a ride until the true Zelink happens, that is if it ever does ;) Haha, I really just do hope you're enjoying this. Keep in mind this is Zelink so if there's any worries in some chapters try to not over worry. I deeply appreciate reviews but I can't force you to if you do not want to. But just a little "Good job" does make my day a lot more better and does strive me on to finishing the next chapters.**

 **Long AN, I apologize lmao. I also apologize for any mistakes. Till next time.**


	5. 4 - Messages

By the time Zelda had gotten home it was already 8:00 at night, most of the workers already having been asleep by then. Her father was more than awake, his bills and paperwork being worked on for his online job which was where he advertised for big companies.

"Hi there, sweetie. How was your day today?" Rhoam asked before he placed down the papers he had in his hands on his desk his oversized office.

Zelda shifted on her feet as she placed her hands behind her back. "Well, it was a very nice one. I always love the days when you actually let me go outside, Father."

Rhoam grunted in response and stared at her, which made her uneasy. "Why were you home later than usual?"

"Well, Father, if i recall, I believe you said on school nights I am to be home by nine at the max; eleven on the days where there's no school the next day. I'm here and it's eight, yes?"

"But...as I've mentioned, you're here later than usual. Yes, I've given you a curfew but you usually come an hour, or so, before."

Zelda bit her lip. _Maybe it wouldn't hurt telling him slightly the truth...right?_ "I know it's later than usual, but I decided to explore a little bit farther out."

"Oh really now? How far did you go?" Her father's gaze was getting more tense, and it made Zelda want to just go to her room.

 _Remember, slightly the truth._ "Well, up to Tarrey Town; people there were more than just polite to me. And I even had the experience of being able to see Gorons in person! That was very worth it."

"I suppose that's really fascinating, much more to you." Her father smiled, finally, as his eyes grew softer. "Did you see how bulky they were?"

Zelda nodded excitedly and her excitement gone up as her father joined in on her excitement in his own way.

He chuckled a bit after he saw how joyous his daughter had gotten about the different race, so he let her have her moment to herself.

"Yes! It was amazing! They were children, I believe, but it was absolutely amazing seeing them in person!"

"Indeed it is." Rhoam seemed to hesitate after the few moments of silence, but he still asked his question. "Did you happen to meet anyone?"

Cue Zelda's groan. "Father, you _always_ ask me this when I go out!" To be truthful, it started to annoy Zelda whenever her father asked where she's gone and who she's met. Couldn't he just leave her alone about what she's doing?

Rhoam sighed. "Zelda, you know it's because I car-"

"Then if it's because you care, what does me meeting anyone have to do with anything?! If I got kidnapped, then oh well! No one even knows I'm your daughter and everyone here in Hyrule is nice and _has_ been nice! What's the point of not even giving me a phone if you're _that_ worried about who I hang out with or what I'm doing every single hour?!"

"Zelda, I don't understand why this is such a problem now-"

She interrupted him, once again. "It's always been a problem! I've just never said anything to you about it because I thought you would one day just zip it and stop asking about my personal life. I'm almost eighteen, Father! Did that ever occur to you? Or were you just too busy _'protecting'_ me from pretty much nothing?!"

Her father let out a stressed sigh and rubbed his face with his hand. "Zelda, honey, I really just want to know what's going on to know if who you're with isn't going to do anything bad…"

"Father, you don't even _know_ the people I'm with! Do you really want to know who I was with so badly?!"

The man nodded.

Zelda sighed, irritated. "Fine. A Hylian. I've encountered a Zora and met another Hylian along the way. There, happy now?"

"I mean…" Her father was obviously reluctant on wanting to say any more and to extend her answer, but he just let it go with the wave of a hand and another sigh. "I guess that works."

Zelda nodded in triumph and bid her father a farewell. "Goodnight then, Father. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well, Zel. See you tomorrow," was what Zelda heard while the doors behind her shut closed.

* * *

When Zelda was in her room she was already on her laptop, sitting on her bed in her night clothes.

She was honestly pretty scared to text Link. She still has the email on her palm...but… _What if he just doesn't respond? Or what if he's asleep by now and forgets by the morning and continuously forgets to respond until it becomes nothing?_ Zelda closed her eyes and shook her head. She really had to stop overthinking, it gots her nowhere.

Whilst Zelda was scrolling through the internet, a debation whether or not she should message Link that night having gone around her head, she heard her laptop give off a little _ding_. She smiled when she saw her friend, Urbosa, had messaged her on Skype.

" _Hey there, Zelly. How was your day today?"_

Zelda started grinning. She hadn't spoken to Urbosa the whole day since she did tell her she would be going out. She warned her she wouldn't be online, but Urbosa did know that she didn't get home until nine on nights like that day. Hence, why Urbosa just messaged Zelda at around nine at that moment.

She formed her own message to her. " _URBOSA IT WAS AMAZING! I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU!"_

A little excitement, yes, but Zelda really couldn't contain it.

" _Hahaha, well then how about you calm down a little and tell me exactly what happened? Nothing exciting ever happens with you so now I'm intrigued."_

Zelda laughed out loud. Urbosa's right and she knew it. She absolutely loved her; she was like a mother Zelda's never had. Except the downside was that Urbosa lived over in Gerudo Town...about two or three hours from where she was living.

The two managed to mend a friendship over reading online books, and they ended up messaging each other over the website before growing close enough to face chat on Skype and ended up talking on there.

" _Okokokok, so to start it off: I was at central park, as always, and then I went to the fairy fountain to go make a wish."_

Urbosa sent a message right after Zelda sent hers. " _What did you wish for?"_

" _Haha, as if I'll tell you."_

Urbosa: _":) how about we video chat to save your time?"_

Zelda brightened up. _"Oh yes!"_ She went and moved her mouse and clicked on the little video camera. A window popped up with three dots and Urbosa's face came up less than a few seconds later.

" _Okay Zelly, spill."_

Zelda nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay. So continuing on from the fountain, I witnessed a rejection."

" _Oooooohhh! Uh-huh, then what happened?"_

"Then, I saw how hurt the guy looked so I went up to go comfort him. He didn't talk to me, at all, so I did all the talking. I wanted to make him feel better though, so I took him out to go and get some ice cream."

" _And...he was just a complete stranger?"_

Zelda nodded and hummed a yes. "Yeah, and his name was Link. Thinking about it, it does seem pretty iconic considering my name is Zelda."

Urbosa let out a laugh, a smile on her face. _"Guess you found your knight in shining armor, your highness."_

"Oh shut up, Urbosa," Zelda laughed out. "You know I sometimes hate when people give me those kind of nicknames just because my name is the same as the princesses from long ago."

" _Hey, you live in a mansion. And, may I add, your last name is also the same as the last king. Seems fitting, it could give me the idea you're from the royalty's bloodline."_

Zelda shook her head, not agreeing. "Nah. If I really _was_ from the royalty bloodline then we likely would've kept royalty running. I just happen to be the daughter of the richest man in Hyrule with the same last name."

" _Zelda,"_ Urbosa leaned forward into the camera, _"doesn't that all just seem so coincidental? Not really anyone around this land has the name Zelda besides you. And, as I've said, that's the name of a princess."_

"Come on Urbosa," Zelda frowned, "we've had these kind of discussions before. I'm just apart of a rich family. Hey, be glad you even _know_ I am the daughter of Rhoam Bosphoramus."

Having forgotten another detail, Urbosa did know about Zelda's real personal life; that was just because Zelda grew close to her before having have told her her real name and trusted her to not stick with her for her reputation in Hyrule.

" _Okay, true. I'll just drop it again...for now. But really Zel, you should think more into these things."_

"In all honesty...even if I so happen _were_ to actually be the Princess of Hyrule, then it would be a lot more difficult than this life I have now. So I'm just glad I'm living how I am now."

" _There you go, girl. Oh yeah, was there anything else to your day today? You told me it was so amazing so was there anything else spectacular?"_

Zelda perked up and she nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! You're right! Okay, so when we started walking over to the ice cream shop in Tarrey Town, Link started to speak to me a little bit more. He's more of a quiet guy, actually."

" _Was he cute?"_

"Urbosa!" Zelda blushed. "I told you! This was after a rejection! I can't just go around thinking about looks when the guy was hurt over a heartbreak. Gotta think about his own feelings."

" _I'm not asking if you straight up love him."_ Urbosa laughed and emphasized her question more. _"I was just asking if you thought his physical appearance was cute."_

Zelda blushed more, hiding her face from Urbosa. "I mean...I guess? He...sort of reminded me of the last Hero. Y'know, the Hero of the Wild?"

" _Oh? Did he really?"_

"Mm-hm. Even the hair, really. The length, color...and his eyes as well! It was freaky!"

" _You think that's freaky? You look exactly like the last Princess!"_

"Sh. My appearance is irrelevant, as of now."

" _You know, you can be pretty difficult at times, Zelda. But that's okay."_

"You love me either way. Now, moving on. We both chatted a bit, Link eventually used the name 'princess' on me. Hey, hey," Zelda grinned, "funny discovery: he loves chivalry and swordsmanship. Isn't that just adorable?!"

" _Pretty iconic if you ask me. And he called you a princess? At least he's not too far from knowing his history."_

"He's just...I dont know. I really want to be his friend… He gave me his email so that we can talk more, since I don't really have a phone. He knows I don't go to his school but instead I said I go to Nayru High, since he does go to Hylia High."

" _Did you tell him anything else about your life?"_

"Well, I used the same old lies. Except I did mention my father doesn't let me out much because he's strict, which isn't too far from home. Other than that, he believes I am just a normal girl."

" _I have a question. Is he in any way related to the Hero? Or is he just named Link?"_

"Well…" _Should I tell her about the Lost Woods and Korok Forest?_ "I don't think he is. Sure he may look like the Resurrected Hero but I'm sure he isn't related to him. He's never said he was. He likely would've told me, honestly. But I guess he's like me." _I'll just keep it a secret._

" _Well, since we're on the topic of 'ancestors'...I don't think I've ever told you tha-"_

"Zelda, time for bed!" Rhoam knocked on Zelda's door whilst he said those words.

Zelda sighed. "Alright!" She turned back to Urbosa. "It seems I've got to get some sleep."

" _Oh, okay then. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Zel."_

Zelda smiled and waved. "Bye, Urbosa."

Urbosa did the same back. _"Goodnight, Zelda."_

Zelda ended the call and started to shut off her laptop, but Urbosa texted her one last thing before she went away.

 _Text Link._

Zelda shook her head with a smile and closed her laptop. She stood up and went to go set it on her desk, but before she started to walk back over to her bed she quickly went back to her laptop and opened it again, seated on her chair.

 _It probably won't hurt to send him just one little message._ She went to her email and went to the inbox, getting prepared to send a message. She looked at her palm and typed in his email and sat there, not knowing what to really say.

 _I mean…,_ she bit her lip, _I don't think I would even be surprised if he doesn't respond. Wouldn't hurt to say at least a greeting, though._ Zelda went into the box to send a message and thought it out at first. It took her a few moments, but all she typed out was, _"Hi Link it's Zelda."_

Zelda let out a breath and sent the message before she shut off her laptop and went to go lay down on her bed. She was not sure if she'll get a message the day after, but she was sure about being excited for the possibility of one.

* * *

Link was seated on his bed against his headboard, a rubber-band ball being thrown at the wall in front of him and caught when it came back to him.

He smiled as he remembered how his day went today. It was one of the best he's had in awhile, aside from the rejection he received from Mipha. But then he frowned, the ball being thrown one last time before he let it sit in his hand. He didn't want things to get awkward between him and the Zora...he loved her too much to just want to have at least their friendship get destroyed just because he confessed. He wanted to keep the friendship they have, for it was the closest he can get to her.

Link pulled out his phone from his pocket, still not dressed from earlier. He debated whether or not he should message Mipha and ask how she's doing, but for the first time in his life around the fish...he's scared to.

 _Ugh._ Link let the ball roll out of his fingers and onto the ground below as he shifted to lay down and stare at the ceiling with his phone in his hand. _Why did I even consider the thought Mipha would even like me as well?_ He sighed longingly and closed his eyes, a hurt to his heart. _With how I am all the time, I don't really blame her for not feeling the same. I am just a quiet weirdo, honestly. I know I'm not bad looking so I'm glad Mipha didn't say she liked me back, really. Better to be hurt than have her only want to be with me for my looks._

His mind suddenly shifted over to the girl he had met that day, a little smile coming onto his lips. _Zelda. Honestly, she's a really nice girl. Bright and a little chatty but that's okay, because it's nice to know she's comfortable talking to me._

A chuckle came out of him as he turned to his side, opening his eyes and staring at the artificial sword in its sheathe hanging on his wall beside his door. _She also seems to be really fascinated by the age old tales; can't hide that I am as well, it truly is fascinating to know we used to have a monarchy and a battle that used to be going on within each incarnation of the princess and the Hero. Would've been cool if I was the Hero of this age..._

He grabbed his phone and turned it on, his eyes widened a little when he saw a notification that popped up after having it turned it on. "New email from theprincessofhyrule…" Link grew a smile, laughing right after. _Don't tell me this is Zelda._

He clicked on the notification and a grin made way to his face once he opened the message. _So it is the one and only "Princess of Hyrule"._ _Never thought she would actually message me._

"Hi Link, it's Zelda," Link read aloud. He couldn't help it, he was grinning by that point.

He saw it was already 10:00 PM when he read the message, while the message itself was sent a little over thirty minutes ago. He grimaced a little. _Geez, I'm really late. I won't be surprised if she doesn't respond, she's likely asleep. Ah, that reminds me that I should go to sleep as well._ Link thought out his response and typed it before he shut off his phone and set it to charge, deciding to just sleep in the clothes he had worn at that moment and to shower and change in the morning if he had time before school started.

The message he sent before sleep was, _"Hello there, your highness :)"_

* * *

The day had barely started and Zelda already wanted to not cooperate and go to the room where she took her lessons for school.

Her father had hired a personal teacher long ago, ever since she was a little toddler. Ever since then it had been the same person, having always gone by the name Tingle.

Zelda sees him as practically a little brother...just...older, annoying, and joyful so she really doesn't mind going to school each day because she's grown accustomed to his company. It was just the thought of having to wake up and get ready every morning that tired her.

Sure, if she wanted she can stay in her pajamas, but her father expected no less from her than to look prepared and show up "ready" by the time she made it into the little classroom they have built into one of the rooms in her home.

The lesson that day was a pretty decent calculus lesson. It was a little over two hours but Zelda was glad it was over when it was. _I think tomorrow is chemistry._

Zelda hummed as she finished up the notes she had taken and stood up, stretching as she sent a smile to Tingle. The energetic man clad in a green suit was happily erasing his work from the board.

"Tingle," Zelda started, "I know I ask this a lot, but how much do you enjoy doing your job as being my teacher?"

Tingle grinned and his tight face was pulled back into a grin as he giggled. "I love it a lot! I really love being able to teach you, Zelda!"

Zelda laughed and went over to the older man and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, one he happily accepted. "You're a good man, Tingle."

Bubbly laughter came into Zelda's ear and she couldn't help but laugh as well while letting go of Tingle.

"Well, I got to go settle these new notes into my room and rest myself for a while." Zelda walked away from Tingle and picked up her notes and pencils right before she walked toward the exit and waved to Tingle. "I'll see you later, Tingle!"

"Bye bye!"

Zelda smiled when she heard Tingle's giggles behind her right as the door had shut closed.

Tingle was always the highlight of her day. Whenever she was down or downright angry because of something her father had done to rile her, Zelda always knew Tingle would brighten up her day. And he never failed to do so, be it unintentionally or when she goes to him.

There was usually someone else she goes to when she's down or needs advice, and that's one of the maids that worked in her home. Her name's Lana. She's a petite girl with short, blue hair and Zelda was really fond of her; not just because she was someone she can go to for any problem, but because she had grown up with her as a little child just as she had done with Tingle as a teacher.

Lana was more than just a friend to Zelda as was Tingle to her, they were both the siblings she never thought of having.

Zelda walked into her room and went over to her desk, shuffling her notes into place while she settled herself down on her chair. Immediately after her bottom had touched the chair, though, Zelda quickly put her things down and turned on her laptop; albeit anxious, she was also eager to find out if Link had responded.

She tapped her fingers on her desk and quickly went onto her browser when it turned on and went in her email site.

She beamed when she saw she got a message back.

"Hello there, your highness :)," Zelda read aloud, for it was what Link had said. She grinned and jumped up and down in her seat, but she compelled herself to take deep breaths before calming down before scolding herself. _Zelda, you have to stop. All it was was a message...from the person I deeply want to be friends with._

Zelda saw he sent the message last night, not too long after she had fallen asleep. She bit her lower lip and tilted her head, her fingers hovered over her keyboard. _If I stayed up a little more and received the message at that time, would we have talked all night?_

She shrugged, not sure why she was even thinking about that. She clicked on the reply box to be able to type a message, but she wasn't sure what to say at that moment. _Hmm...I certainly wouldn't want this conversation to go awkwardly, so maybe it would be better to not say hi again? Hm._

Zelda kept thinking to herself, taking about a minute or two to think out her response. _He's likely in school right now actually…_ Zelda glanced at the time 1:23 PM. She shrugged again. "Wouldn't hurt to send something at the very least."

She ended up typing out, _"I'm sorry for responding so late I ended up sleeping and went to school :p"_

Zelda hit send, but she still felt that wasn't enough so she went to type another message. That time, she ended up saying, _"I take it you are still in school so I'm not really expecting a message as of now, but when you come back I would like to know how your day went :)"_

 _Dear Hylia, I sound like a weirdo._ Zelda shook her head and went to Skype, going over to message Urbosa that she finished her lessons for the day.

She felt a sense of...joy; she's not exactly sure why. Was it because she actually was able to keep touch with someone she had encountered in public? Or...was it because she was able to stay in contact with Link himself? She didn't know, but what she _did_ know was that she had really grown to take an interest to Link. She hadn't met many men in her life, but when she did they were mostly chatty and had a lot to verbalize and Zelda really did not mind that. It was nice she was able to speak freely with others.

As for Link, yes he was a male, but Zelda found him quite different from the very few men she had encountered. She could actually feel _free_ and be herself around him, and maybe that's because he let her be herself and didn't mind her acting how she would with someone she can trust. Maybe there were more people like Link, but as of that moment to her there was only a one-of-a-kind Link. He was so secluded, very quiet and seemed to keep to himself a lot. She was positive he had a lot going on in his mind, coming from the multiple expressions she's seen him have when he was most unaware.

She smiled slightly to herself as she sent the message to Urbosa. Maybe Link was even a little more chatty on text, who knows? Or, maybe if Zelda tried to grow more close, then he could even probably open up to her more. Zelda did not know, but she was sure about wanting to be his friend overall.

It had turned 1:25 when Zelda had received a message, a notification coming up in the corner of her screen that told her she had a new email from Link. A grin came along and she clicked it, reading eagerly what Link had sent her.

" _Shocking, didn't think you would actually respond lol. Ill let you know about my day in the end, Im currently in my free period. But what about you? Arent you in school?"_

 _Shoot._ Zelda didn't think about how her being in homeschooling was a little different than the average schooling. She came up with an excuse, probably a lame one, but she sent it. She had to think it through, considering she had no phone to just text Link randomly. _"I was let home early because my father wanted me to attend to something here at the house."_

It took a few seconds, but Link got back to her shortly after. _"Ah that makes sense. So what r u doing rn?"_

Zelda typed out her own message. _"I'm sitting here talking to you."_

" _LMAO well of course haha. Id be lying if I told you I wasnt doing the same."_

Zelda started to get curious; a free period? She's never really heard of that. Thus, curiosity killed the cat.

" _What's a free period, may I ask?"_

It took Link a few moments to type out his message, but he eventually sent: _"Do you guys not have a free period at your school? And when you went to hylia high did you not have one?"_

 _Oh my Din, there I go again._ Zelda groaned and slammed her head on her laptop keyboard, making a gibberish mess within the messenger. _What an idiot you are Zelda! Way to go!_

"Ugh." Zelda lazily picked her head up and typed out her message. _"Sorry sorry. I know what it is you meant. I was just thinking differently. My apologies :)"_

She stared at the message, debating on if she should keep it or change it.

After many thoughts, Zelda thought it best she chose the latter so she erased her message and instead said, _"I'm afraid to say I actually do not have any recollection of a "free period". I'm not sure if I just did not have it when I went to Hylia High or my memory is a little fuzzy. But I doubt it would be, I left the school during freshman year."_

Zelda expected a more formal response, such as a question, to her own claim, not expecting, _"lol your way of texting reminds me of formalities from long ago, princess:)."_

Nevertheless, Zelda had ended up breaking into laughter. She certainly did not expect Link to respond with that. She was really enjoying his company, even if it was through a technological way. She as well did not let go of how his style of writing was, it's more free and less grammatically correct compared to hers. She did not mind it though, for it made Link _Link_. She, herself, as well did not speak in such a formal way at times as she was with Link at that moment, but that's because she was feeling more for the formality of things. In person, it was how she was taught to speak. It gave the sense of "politeness" and "scholarly behavior", or so her father had said.

Tingle had been taught to teach her those things, main one being formality. Some people had found it quite funny how Zelda had a way with speaking in her own tone, giving off a royalty vibe to most others.

Zelda shook her head, a light smile on her lips as she read over Link's message. _Not so surprising he that does act as if I am the princess from centuries ago, I don't blame him. As well, I don't really believe he may be incarnated from the Hero of long ago. He's too silent and seems to be keeping to himself much more than a knight should. Knights were all outgoing and brave, weren't they? Or maybe I'm wrong because this is Link in the modern ages_ _—_ _monarchy and nobility dead_ — _and Link seems to be brave in his own way. I should respond to him now, actually._

" _I suppose I do get that a lot :) what is a free period though? Still very curious haha,"_ she sent.

Link took about no less then a few seconds to respond and that had shocked Zelda at his speed, but she didn't argue on it. He had said, _"well it is exactly as it sounds :-) we do nothing for the whole period unless you have homework and thats when you do something. Pretty cool considering it's also my last period :D"_

Zelda checked the time right after having read to his message, and she took notice that it was already 2:03 PM.

" _It's already 2 lol guess time goes by fast when you're having fun. When do you get out?"_ Zelda asked, unaware of how she used her words.

" _Ooooooo so you were having fun;) I must be soooo irresistible"_

Zelda blushed profoundly. Furiously, she typed her message and hit send.

" _Link you know what I mean! I just truthfully enjoy speaking to you!"_

 _Dear goddesses, Link is so much more teasing and really does have a lot more to say than in person._ Zelda rubbed her face and sighed.

He sent another message. _"Hahah :) I know, I know. Just messing with the princess;-) I get out at like 2:25 btw"_

"Geez…" Zelda sighed again, but a smile had been evident on her face.

" _How long will you be keeping the "princess" status on me?"_

Link: _"However long I please to :) does it bother you? Or is it okay if i actually can call u princess and whatnot"_

Zelda wasn't sure, but she blushed at the beginning of his message. She didn't mind it, per se, but she just found it weirdly fitting whenever Link called her a princess. It made sense that he did, but with his name being Link gave her a weird feeling every time he used a royal title on her. She couldn't really call it deja vu or nostalgia because she had never met Link in her entire life, not even in her dreams. Moreover, it gave her a sense of...familiarity. One she was sure she had never encountered.

" _I don't mind it :) Use it all you want, sir Link."_

" _Sir Link…"_ Link had sent. He took a while before sending the other part of his message while Zelda patiently waited. _"I love the sound of that (:"_

Zelda laughed quietly and leaned elbow on her desk, resting her chin on her hand. She used her other hand to type out her message, which took quite a bit of time since it was only one hand that had been used. _"Well you know Link, knights were said to be brave men. You seem to be pretty brave yourself for going through the Lost Woods knowing what the consequences of actually getting lost are. Maybe, you're even courageous."  
_

Moments passed.

" _Daw thank you zelda :') maybe i am, maybe im not. But im glad i went through there, for it was of good use yesterday:)"_

Zelda tilted her head. _"What do you mean by that?"_

Link didn't respond and it had been over a few minutes by that time, and Zelda checked her clock on her laptop to see if it may be he was busy getting his things ready to leave. It was already 2:20, so it was likely he was getting ready to leave.

A message popped up. _"Sorry for the late response i was leaving the building lol i know i said we get out at 2:25 but i necessarily dont really have to be here at school since this period is basically nothing"_

Zelda: _"Ahhh, okok makes sense._ _But I'm still curious, you didn't answer my question."_

Again, a few minutes passed. Zelda wasn't sure if he was avoiding it or just didn't know how to word it. She hoped it was the second assumption because she really wanted to know. But, she likely would have no clue what goes on in Link's head.

" _well if Im going to be completely honest, i was really enjoying your company and the Lost Woods gave us more a reason to hang out. it wouldnt have taken up all of our time to just go through the woods and show you the most I could of my little hangout before we had to part"_

Cue the blush Zelda had on her face after she had read that message. She did not expect Link to say _that_ at all. So he had actually enjoyed her company? Zelda found it a little ridiculous.

" _Really now?_ _You ended up finding some liking in my company to have you find a reason to extend it?"_

In all honestly, Zelda had no problem at all with what Link had done and the time they had. It was one of the best days of her life, one she had not had in such a very long time.

" _Well...I suppose yes. Since we are on the topic of this, i have a question. When will we hang out again?"_

 _Youch...uh…_ Zelda grimaced, the inside of her cheek being bitten as she had struggled to find a way to tell Link she won't be free for a lotta weeks.

" _Well…"_ she started out, not sure how to continue the rest. She scratched her cheek, words being formed without thought. _"I am not sure, really. Whenever you are free, I guess that could work."_

Zelda immediately wanted to delete her message, but she could not. She started to panic at that point. She certainly _couldn't_ hang out whenever Link was free, because she was not sure when it was he would have been free and she knew for a fact her father would not let her out even if she had asked.

She quickly typed out her next message before Link had sent his response. _"I don't think I would be able to go out, though. As I've said, my father is a strict man. Can't disobey his orders."_

Link's respond came in quick. _"Now you sound like youre being held hostage by your own dad. What if we go out and meet up again this weekend? Around 4 pm-ish? I want to go and show you more around hyrule and what i've been finding my whole life."_

Zelda had bit her lip, her leg bounced up and down in anxiousness. She really had wanted to agree, but she was afraid her father would check up on her and find her gon-

Zelda gasped and her eyes widened as a grin had broken out on her face after she had quick stop to her thoughts. She typed out her response.

" _Alright then. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind the weekends. Besides, you were right. I am seventeen, I should be able to be free to roam :)"_ Zelda was partly lying, her father _did_ mind it. He always did. But the roaming part, it was true. She was old enough to make her decisions such as these; she was a good daughter, very excellent in her studies and has shown more than enough to her father to prove she was a good person.

" _You sure he won't mind? You getting in trouble is the least I want"_

" _Positive."_ She wasn't positive, but if it would risk going out to hang out with someone she truly wanted to be around, it was worth it. This was her one chance and she was not blowing it.

" _Awesome! Alright so Ill be back Im going to plan smth for when the day comes :) I'll ttyl zelda"_

" _Bye Link:)"_

Zelda smiled, she was really glad she had found Link. She made a new friend _—_ well, someone she _hoped_ was a friend _—_ and she was content they were getting along very well.

 _Now, back to how I will sneak out. Shouldn't be too hard, right?_ Zelda leaned back against her chair and tapped her chin in thought. _I could just climb out my window and lead my way out, there's just enough leverage to climb down. I've done it before in a game of tag long ago, so that shouldn't be a problem. But…how will I keep Father distracted?_

A sigh came out of Zelda. Shortly after came a gasp of realization. _Lana!_ She grinned excitedly. _She doesn't know of Link, but I could explain this all to her and I know that maybe she can find a way to keep my father distracted for a few hours from coming into my room. Perfect! This can all go well. It sounds just like a plan._

Zelda sighed happily and leaned her head back. _Oddly enough, I certainly cannot wait to see Link once again._

 **Hello :) This was a little late, I apologize, but I was busy with school and as you can tell this chapter was a lot more longer. I truly hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I appreciate and am grateful for all the reviews and faves and followers I have on this story :) I hope you guys will enjoy the future chapters. It's 5 am currently, I'm going to eat breakfast then go ahead and wait for school.**

 **Till next time :)**


	6. 5 - Friendship

Days passed.

It had been three days since Zelda and Link had first seen each other and it was no secret the two were enjoying each others company and were excited for when they would see each other again. They texted each other almost everyday whenever they were available to do so.

Urbosa found it sickeningly cute, but she also felt proud of Zelda for she had never talked that long to a boy before. She had asked Zelda more than once to give her Link's contact information so that Urbosa could see who it was Zelda seemed to fancy—Zelda denied it more than once. She was afraid Urbosa would say something to Link and embarrass either Link or Zelda herself.

Zelda wasn't wrong, because Urbosa had those exact intentions.

While the blonde was really excited and energetic that she would see Link again that weekend to come, there was a slight problem; she still had not told Lana her plan. Yes, Lana was trustworthy and practically a sister to Zelda but she was still nervous. It was her first time asking of a favor such as the one Zelda had in mind for Lana, therefore she was not sure how Lana would have taken it.

Zelda was standing in front of said Lana's door, staring at the polished wood for longer than what was necessary.

Urbosa knew about the plan itself, but all she could've done was cheer her best friend on and hope for the best.

Link still thought Zelda was able to go with consent and no worries of getting in trouble; oh, how wrong he was. But that was partly Zelda's fault, she did say she was free and said her father didn't mind but that was just a load of buffoonery—of course the richest man in Hyrule had minded, her own father.

Zelda calmed down her nerves, her hand still closed in a fist as she hesitantly brought it up to knock on one of the many doors in one of the large hallways.

Lana had her own room there, just like Tingle and all the other servants and maids because they were always needed—what was the point of going back home when they were needed at the mansion 24/7? Zelda was glad that they stayed—she didn't feel so lonely—but also pitiful because they were pulled from the potential family they have.

Her hand was still hovered over the painted doors, debating right on the spot. _Maybe I'll tell her tomorro-_

Lana's door swung open before Zelda was able to even finish her thought, and there Lana was. Obviously, she had not expected Zelda to be in front of her—or anyone, for that matter—so she couldn't stop herself from letting out that scream of fright.

"Z-Zelda! You scared me," Lana breathed out. She let out a breathy laugh and placed her hand over her beating heart, calming it down the best she could. "I didn't expect you to be there. I was going to go over and see how you were doing. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh...well...I'm here." Zelda smiled. "And I'm doing fine." She looked to the ground, biting her inner lip whilst she fiddled with her hands. She was hesitating, and Lana had noticed.

Zelda looked back up to Lana when the blue-haired woman tenderly placed her hand on her shoulder. "Zelda, are you okay?"

"U-uh...yeah… Um, Lana, do you have anything to do at the moment?" Zelda was immensely nervous, and she really did not know why; she had known Lana ever since she was a little kid and grew close to her because the two were only two years apart, forming a friendship and a sister-like bond throughout the years.

Lana shook her head. "Not really, I've done all my duties for now. I'm free unless your father asks me to do something for him."

Zelda grinned. "Great. Would you mind if we went in your room? I want to talk to you about something."

Lana nodded and stepped to the side so that Zelda can enter. "You may enter, milady."

Zelda smiled and entered, Lana doing the same afterwards and closed the door to commence the privacy Zelda had wanted. She walked off to sit on her chair tucked in her desk, Zelda seated on her bed. "Okay, so what is it?"

"Well…" Zelda started off, not knowing how to continue. She folded her hands together on her lap and tried to stall and take her time to word what she had wanted to say. _Gods, why is this so much more harder?_ "I-I...met this boy…"

Lana's face burst into a grin. "You did?! Oh my gosh! Finally!" But, she had then turned serious again after a thought had come to her head. "Wait. Online?"

Zelda started to turn red a little, but she giggled nonetheless. She shook her head. "No. I went to central park a few days ago 'cause my father let me go out to have a break from being inside for _so long_. So I met him there."

"Mm-hm. Okay, and I'm assuming your father doesn't know about this?"

Zelda nodded. "Correct. If he found out I was even conversing with a stranger he would get mad— Well, actually…," Zelda bit her lip and recalled the night she had gotten back home to her father, "he does know. He just doesn't know I ended up _hanging out_ with the guy I met, or anyone else. All I said was I encountered a Hylian, Zora, then another Hylian...which is who I ended up hanging out with."

"All of them?"

Zelda shook her head again. "No, just the last Hylian. His name was Link."

Lana laughed. "That's funny."

Zelda tilted her head. "What is?"

"Your name's Zelda and his is Link."

Zelda rolled her eyes playfully and smiled a little. "So far you and Urbosa had been saying that. Even Link himself! I know it's no surprise everyone knows about our land's legend, but since I'm the only Zelda and Link is probably _one_ of the many Links out there, Urbosa won't stop making references or joking around."

Lana laughed again. "I know how you get annoyed sometimes being called a Princess, but you can't deny it is really coincidental. Come on, I don't think there's any other person named Link aside from him because it's an age old tale that probably didn't even exist. Maybe Hyrule made it up just to make this land sound interesting."

Zelda sighed. "I know you don't believe in the monarchy and legends from long ago, but I _can_ assure you it did happen. There's tons of pictures and paintings from back then, Hyrule Castle somewhere in the background. There are also some ancient portraits of all the Zeldas and Kings and some Queens, there were some Links in there somewhere as well."

"You really are dedicated to your he—" Lana shook her head, quickly catching herself—"history, Zel. It can be true, but it also can't. Maybe most stories and pictographs were changed to hide something from long ago that _really_ happened. It is true though that there was a monarchy before us, though; that I cannot deny no matter how much I want to."

Zelda tilted her head in question. "Oh. Well, of course I'm dedicated to it all." Zelda smiled. "I have more proof that there really were Heroes though."

Lana raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yup. I...kind of didn't want to tell this to anyone—not even Urbosa—but...Link had taken me through the Lost Woods and over to Korok Forest. You know of those, right?"

"You're kidding." Lana had her eyes widen again. "I thought those areas were just a myth?"

"You think everything is a myth." Zelda waved her off. "It's more north from here. If I left to go there now, it'll take me about three hours walking. Central park is about thirty minutes by foot from here, but Link and I had gone to Tarrey Town just before heading toward the woods. It was in a more secluded area, hardly anyone was near when we entered."

"But...don't you turn into a skeleton once you enter?"

"No, Lana. That's only if you get lost, and you actually turn into a Skeleton Kid or Skull Kid, or something like that. Hence, Lost Woods."

"Ah." Lana tilted her own head. "Wait, isn't only the Hero allowed through there? If you're not him, you get lost...don't you?"

"Oh, so now you're interested and suddenly know your facts?" Zelda laughed despite her remark, but she answered. "I don't know, it's what the history books say. And the historics. Scientists are not so sure on how it all works because it just doesn't combine with the physics of it, but they don't mess with it because it's its own thing. But Link and I made it through no problem, he just had his own technique to making it through there."

Zelda grinned, gladly rambling on since Lana always had let her. "Hear this—I know you are not one for historics, but legend says that there is a sword that seals the darkness hidden somewhere in the Lost Woods lodged into a pedestal. Link's not sure on where it is, but he knows of the prophecy. No one's ever tried to find it because it's far too deep into the woods."

"If you find it, would you try to pull it?"

Zelda shook her head. "Heck no. It's said only the Hero was able to do it. But, I don't think the Hero exists any longer. So I don't expect anyone to have it pulled out anytime."

"What if Link tries?"

Zelda smiled slightly. "Then I'm rooting him on, but also kinda won't. It's apparent if you're not the chosen one then you die trying to pull it out."

"And...if he does pull it out?"

Zelda was grinning. That was the most conversation they've made involving one of Zelda's interests. She was glad Lana was intrigued. "Then I would be absolutely baffled to no limit. I would be surprised, yet not."

"Why the 'yet not'?"

"Well, Link has admitted to me he is quite smitten with swords and anything to do with chivalry."

Lana laughed again. "What a very strange man. He sounds quite adorable. How old is he?"

"My age." Zelda smiled, looking down at her hands with a soft look on her face and a light blush. "Not to mention, he is quite similar-looking to the past Hero."

"How did you two meet, may I ask? 'Cause I'm sure stuff like this doesn't just happen out of the blue."

Zelda laughed anxiously. "Lana, you see...it kind of did. So, he was going through a rejection of confessing to that Zora I mentioned earlier...it didn't go well."

"No, the poor boy…" Lana frowned and sympathized for Link, despite having not been there in person.

"I know, which is why I went over to him and went to go comfort him. He was really quiet, so he didn't talk to me at all. When I saw he wasn't going to give me responses I ended up dragging him with me to Tarrey Town to get ice cream, which is where this whole adventure started. He opened up to me more in the end, by the way."

"Huh," was all Lana managed to say at the end of Zelda's story. "So this was all a few days ago? How long ago was it, exactly?"

"It happened on Sunday."

"Ooh…" Lana's head tilted again. "Why am I just hearing about it now?"

"Well…" Zelda scratched her cheek, "you know how my father doesn't let me interact and have friends with anyone outside of this house, right?"

Lana nodded. "What about it?"

"So, Link and I ended up exchanging emails since I don't have a phone. Since then, we've been chatting and talking whenever get the chance to. Now—" Zelda grinned—"this is where you come in."

Lana felt kind of weird under Zelda's gaze as of that moment, but she nodded either way. "What am I in need of then, milady?"

"You know you can always just call me Zelda, Lana." Zelda laughed slightly. "You don't always have to go by my father's orders when it comes to you saying my name and whatnot. Just call me Zel or Zelda when we're alone, yeah?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've just grown to have a habit of calling you 'milady' or lady. But…I will try."

Zelda smiled at her close friend. "Alright, so continuing…you come into place now. Link asked me to hang out with him again out to the park so that he can show me around more, since I obviously don't go out much and he knows that."

"Does he know of your personal life?" Lana asked.

Zelda shook her head. "Nope. But he does believe I go to Nayru High. He isn't out of school yet himself, though; he goes to Hyrule High."

"Oh… I used to have a rival who went there. His name was Ghirahim. Gods, he annoyed me to no end!"

Zelda laughed at seeing Lana distressed. Lana used to go to Hyrule High, only before she had graduated a year ago. "What happened to him?"

"I left for graduation and actually stayed here as a full-timer. Ghirahim was a grade lower than me so he's in 11th, like you."

"Oh, maybe Link knows him!" Zelda laughed, having gotten eager to message Link and ask of Ghirahim.

Lana smiled. "If he does, tell Link to smack him for me."

"Rodger." Zelda smiled and continued on with her favor. "Oh, yeah. The thing I needed from you… Uh...would you mind if on Saturday you keep Father distracted?"

Lana seemed to be in thought for a while, making Zelda's anxieties skyrocket. "I...I can try, Zelda." Lana grinned and winked toward Zelda. "Anything to make you happy with the man of your dreams."

"Lana!" Zelda turned red. "Why does everyone think I like him? I honestly just see him as a friend, no less!" Her voice quieted down to a mumble. "I just met him recently, anyway…"

A laugh came out of Lana. "I know Zelda, I was just teasing."

"Besides, I'm sure he's still not over the Zora he confessed to. And I doubt I'll fall for him anytime. Every person I try to befriend outside this house doesn't stick with me for long. Soon, my father will find out somehow and forbid me from talking or seeing him...which I would absolutely hate. He doesn't even know about Urbosa, blessedly."

"But why would you let that stop you from going out to meet Link from time-to-time? Just sneak out like you're doing so now and find a way to make it work well. It's going swell right now, isn't it?"

Zelda sighed, letting her body fall back to lay on Lana's twin bed. She whined and draped her arm over her eyes. "But what if Link loses interest and doesn't want to stick with me after finding out my father forbade our friendship?"

"Then that would be a really messed up thing to do. But how are you going with him now? Doesn't he know your dad doesn't let you out?"

Zelda sighed again, stressing. "I don't know...he wanted to make sure I was able to go with consent so that I don't get in trouble—me in trouble is something he really wants to avoid. But...I lied and said my father would be okay with me going. I just...I really want to see and hang out with Link."

"Zelda…" Lana frowned and a breath came out of her. "I'll try my very best for you to sneak out safely and not get caught. I would really love for you to have a nice day off and make fun memories with Link. It seems he makes you happy if you're willing to sneak out for him."

Zelda wasn't aware, but her cheeks had grown a pink tint. A small smile made way to her face. "I suppose he does..." She removed her arm and sat with a grin on her face. "Thank you so much, Lana."

Said Lana smiled and bowed her head to Zelda. "For how long will I have to keep distracting your father on Saturday?"

"Well," she bounced a little on the spot on Lana's bed, "I'm leaving at around 4:30. Then I will come home by ten or so at night since eleven is usually my curfew...which means my father will come and check on me to either say goodnight or tell me to sleep."

"Alright, sounds like a plan. But…what am I going to use as an excuse for your father to not get suspicious?"

"Say I have a high fever? Um…you could be staying in my room from time-to-time and pretend I have a high fever. If my father comes and tries to see me…uh…" Zelda scratched her head.

Not a minute later did a thought come. "Oh yeah! Just say I don't want anyone but you coming in because you're the one taking care of me and that I'll be fine, also that I don't want my father catching a fever as well. Let's just pretend something didn't settle in right with me. "

Lana smiled. "Now _that_ sounds like a plan. You're all settled now?"

Zelda nodded eagerly, a grin on her face. "Yup! Thank you so much, Lana!"

Lana laughed at her friend's happiness, feeling a sense of joy at being able to make her friend content. "Anything for you, Zelda."

* * *

Lana ended up getting back to work—per orders of Zelda's father.

Zelda insisted he gave Lana a day off—mostly because Zelda wanted to have a day to herself with Lana for she has not had one of those in a very long time—but, alas, Rhoam said she dedicated herself in working under his rules so work was what she was given.

Zelda sighed, seated on her desk chair. She wish she could've at least gone with Lana since she was given the task of going out to buy groceries for the cooks.

Sometimes, if Zelda really thought about it, it really surprised her on how… _wealthy_ her family was. They have cooks, servants, maids, security guards—Zelda wasn't sure why there was security needed all over the mansion if there was a large gate with enough security all on its own though. But, she supposed her father was willing to be better safe than sorry.

Heck, even Lana has her own personal library in her room. As mentioned before, Zelda even had her own lab for experiments or a place she could go to to study if her room wasn't spacious enough.

Zelda sighed once more, checking the time on her laptop. Having seen that it was 2:45, she was positive Link would have been released from school by then.

She went to her email and indeed it was confirmed Link had been released, for he had sent a message the minute he was out.

* * *

" _Hellllooooo"_ Link sent. He was walking himself out of the campus and into the outside, where freedom was more accepted.

He blew out into the cold air. Winter had come upon Hyrule once again, which meant the climate had gotten a lot more colder. And _that_ meant scarves, gloves, earmuffs, cozy hats, etc.

An arm draped over Link's shoulders, scaring him out of his mind whilst he stuffed his phone away. Link looked up to his right to see one of his very best friends, Sidon.

"Hey there, Link!"

Link smiled softly at the Zora. "Hi."

The differences between them two were very drastic—Sidon: an energetic, super active "popular" kid in school with a lot of positivity to everything. Then, there was Link: a calm, quiet, well-known kid in high school. Yeah, almost everyone knew him, but that was because he was deemed to be handsome looking; not a lot of people tried to actually try and mend a friendship with him. If they did, he let them do the talking unless they got something out of him; they usually gave up when he didn't respond at first, though. Usually, he was more known as the "mute" junior.

Sidon, on the other hand, was very charming with the ladies and very attractive for all he was—a tall, broad, encouraging, and optimistic Zora. Despite being a sophomore and a fish of his kin, he won the hearts of almost everyone in more ways than one.

Also, a fact almost forgotten, Sidon was Mipha's little brother.

"Would you mind if I walk home with you? I know we live in different areas but I would appreciate if we can walk together. I don't think you take the bus, do you?"

Link shook his head and that small smile he had turned to a bright one. "Sure."

"Excellent!" Sidon laughed and walked forward with Link still wrapped in his arm on his side. "I have a question, do you know where my dear sister is?"

Link seemed to be in thought for a moment but then he shook his head. "Nope. Last I saw her was at Chemistry."

"Hmm… Usually she's here with you…"

Link was not sure if Sidon was speaking to him or to himself, but either way he moved away from Sidon's arm and scratched his cheek in slight nervousness. "Well…you see, about that…"

"Anyway," Sidon spoke out, not letting Link finish what he was going to say, "I wanted to talk to you. One, we have not hung out together for a whole week, and two, I've wanted to ask you something regarding one of your friends."

"Sure, what is it?" Link looked up at the Zora.

"Well…" Sidon removed his arm from Link and held onto his backpack straps, "you know your friend Revali?"

"Ugh." Link immediately grimaced just hearing that bird's name. "He's someone I don't even want to be acquaintances with."

Sidon laughed slightly. "Well, I was just curious on if you knew if he was hanging out with Mipha lately. Most girls are rather smitten with Revali and I was just wondering if you had any thoughts if Mipha may be as well."

Link bit his lower lip and shook his head, eyes downcast. His voice was soft when he spoke. "I kind of doubt it… I know Mipha isn't one to fall for such an ass like Revali; she's too kind and much more better than that."

Sidon nodded in agreement. "That you are not wrong about. You know, Link, there are times I think she may actually like you."

Link let out a mighty laugh. "As if! I really doubt anyone likes me like that, Sidon." He gave a side glance toward the fish. "If they did, it would quite possibly be just for my looks."

"Well, Link, I don't mean to make this sound weird but I think you're a pretty amazing guy as is. Charming or not, you do have a great personality. I also know you've dated a few girls in your past."

Link softly smiled at the tall Zora beside him. "Thanks, Sidon. But…I dunno."

"Come on, Link! Trust me, if you were to confess to someone I'm positive they will accept you," Sidon exclaimed.

Link's mind went back to Mipha. He sighed and it didn't go past Sidon.

"What's wrong?"

Link wasn't sure if telling Sidon about what happened between him and Mipha that day at Central Park would've been a good idea, so he kept it to himself. "Nothing. I'm just thinking about what you said and it's like...what if they do end up denying me? There's always that possibility."

Sidon smirked, his pearly white teeth glinting animatedly in view. "Don't worry Link, I'm sure you'll magically find the one you're looking for someday."

Unexpectedly, Link's mind shifted over to Zelda. He was not sure why, but he assumed it was likely the context of Sidon's words.

In all honesty, Link was not reluctant to say he was quite excited to meet up with Zelda again and show her more areas he was sure she would be fascinated with. He was not sure on why she _was_ so interested in history, but she was certainly not alone so he shouldn't be one to judge—as if he was from the start, anyway.

If Link was going to be honest with himself, he had been getting strange dreams lately. He usually forgot them but the ones he remembered were those of him with an _actual_ Princess. Was it Zelda? He wasn't sure, but it was likely just the fact he met a Zelda and the thought of princesses triggered the dreams he had been having, so it was probably nothing special.

A sigh was had come out. "I guess…"

Sidon smirked, his sharp teeth being exposed to the world. "I believe you will, Link." He chuckled and ruffled Link's hair—one of the many advantages of being taller for Sidon. "Trust me!"

Link was sincerely smiling by then. He looked up at the taller teen as the two stopped walking on a curb, waiting for the light. "Thanks Sidon, really."

Sidon still had that smirk. "Just come to me if you need any help or advice, whatsoever!"

"Indeed I will," said Link.

The two started walking when the light gave them the signal it was okay.

"Also...Link," started Sidon, "will you ever join football? I went to tryouts and I got in."

Link scoffed on the inside. _Of course you did; look at you!_ He shook his head and kept his eyes straight ahead. "Nah. I'm not one for sports."

"Are you sure about that? 'Cause even though you may seem lanky, you do have a fairly-built body." Sidon tilted his head, adjusting the straps of his backpack.

Link laughed softly, side-glancing Sidon. "That's 'cause I work out or do some other active things. I'm just not one for sports, trust me." He looked down and nervously bit his lip. _I wouldn't tell Sidon that I actually just work out_ and _practice swordsmanship almost every day when I get the chance, that's just embarrassing; I was just lucky someone like Zelda didn't call me out on it and actually found it coincidental._

The tips of Link's ears turned red as he felt that familiar sizzle in his cheeks, that memory he just remember triggering another one. _She even found me being unused to girls...cute…_ He whimpered slightly and went small, hating that he was blushing so easily.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Link looked at Sidon, his pink cheeks visible. "Y-yeah! Yeah...I-I am. I just thought of something, don't worry."

"Hmm." Sidon grinned. "But you're looking a little red; you sure it isn't about some girl, perhaps?"

Link shook his head with a chuckle, looking down. "No."

"You say that, but I'm pretty sure you're lying," Sidon exclaimed.

Link looked taken aback as he gave Sidon a face, his legs still moving from the walk. "What? How would you know?"

"You look down a lot, and usually when people lie they do the same exact thing." A smile came out of Sidon.

Link didn't have anything to say at that moment—his mouth was left hanging open—but he felt the twitch of his lips and gave a half-smile. "Well...I...am positive I am 90% sure I'm not lying."

Sidon laughed and shook his head at Link's choice of response, looking ahead and walking along the cement with Link beside him.

A few minutes had passed, Link's home being at least one more mile away. The Hylian and Zora were both talking until Link's phone gave off a notification, sounding off with a mini _"Hey, listen!"_

Sidon stared amusingly at Link when he looked embarrassed at the fact Sidon heard his notification ring.

"S-sorry. I just find it to be helpful telling me I have notifications." Link pulled out his phone as he and Sidon stopped off to the side of the sidewalk so that Link was able to tend to whatever notification he had gotten. "The Slate wasn't very well-made with notification rings."

Sidon laughed to himself. "You're not wrong about that." Link started smiling broadly at his phone, piquing Sidon's curiosity. "What'd you get?"

Link stuttered as he briefly looked up at Sidon, moving back to his screen afterwards whilst he unlocked it. "Just a message from a friend."

"Is it someone I know?" Sidon knew better than to just look at the message himself, he did not want to invade Link's privacy—if it even was privacy, anyway.

"Uh...I don't think so." Link read the message and smiled softly.

 _Zelda: "Hi there. sorry for responding so late I was a little busy haha"_

He scratched his cheek while thinking of a response.

 _Link: "Haha thats okay :))) im just glad you were able to get to the computer and talk to me lol"_

"Hm. Where do they live?"

Link looked up when he heard Sidon speak, sliding his phone back in his pocket. "Huh?"

Sidon smiled with his hands behind his back as he and Link started walking back to his house. "The person. Where do they live?"

"Oh. I'm not sure, but I think she told me she lives near central park…" He shook his head, voice getting softer as he was seemingly talking to himself by then. "No. I don't think she actually told me; we just separated and hoped to see each other again…"

"Awww, would you look at that?"

Link jumped a little, for he was in his own world for a moment. "H-huh?"

Sidon smirked, a glowing aura around him as he said, "Seems like you've found your Juliet."

Link started to turn red, slightly. "Sidon! I'm not Romeo…a-and she was just someone I happened to meet at the park a few days ago."

"Uh-huh. And what was her name?"

"Zelda."

"Ah." Sidon nodded. "I'm assuming she goes to another school?"

Sidon was given a nod. "Yeah."

"That kinda amusing. From what we've recently learned in history class, there was a Princess who went by the name of Zelda and had a companion, or Hero, named Link by her side," inquired Sidon.

Link sighed. He had a feeling everyone b would say that about him and Zelda if they found out their encounter. "Yup."

"It's kind of interesting. I never would've thought our ancestors of this land had something interesting going on."

"Well…" Link thought back to the Lost Woods and Korok Forest, the sword he was told about coming to mind, "it could be kind of surprising to most people."

"Maybe so, yeah." Sidon stopped walking, a view of Link's home in the way. "Well, here we are, my good friend."

Link looked away from Sidon and saw his home. "Ah, we're here." He turned to Sidon once more and sent a wave, smiling as he walked to his porch. "I'll see you later, Sidon."

Sidon waved back, a grin on his face. "Farewell!"

All Link heard was the chirping of the birds before the door he had opened was then shut closed, the familiar scent of his home hitting him.

"Impa?" Link walked over to the kitchen, peeking around the corner into the noise-filled area. "I'm home."

Impa, a middle-aged woman in her thirties, turned around and made a noise of acknowledgement when she saw her nephew. "Link, hello!" She slowly stopped stewing and put the lid over the stock pot. She walked over to Link and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "How was your day?"

Link hugged her back before stepping back so he could look up at her face. "It was the same as always—pretty decent. I walked home with Sidon today."

Impa laughed, a smooth grin on her face. "Sidon always seemed like a good kid."

"Oh, he really is." Link smiled and peeked back into the kitchen, turning back to the silver-haired lady after. "What are you cooking?"

"Oh!" Impa went back to her spot on the kitchen and held up the lid, silently motioning Link over. "I'm just making a roasted meat stew."

Link walked over and peeked in. "Huh. Is it any good? I don't remember you ever making that."

"Yeah, that's cause I've never made it before. I prayed to the goddesses that my cooking made it good, I just found the recipe online and hoped it was decently easy." She shrugged and closed the lid, turning back to Link. "I needed something new to cook."

"Yeesh. Good luck with that." He started walking back to the stairs hallway that led to his room. "When is it ready?"

"In about an hour or two, I'll call you over." Impa walked over to the couch and plopped down onto it. "Do your homework first, or something."

"I don't have any today, but I'm sure I won't be bored." Link gave Impa a sweet smile and walked into the hallway that held his room. He smiled to himself instead at that moment, thinking back to talking with Zelda.

 _I wish there was a way so I could talk to her in a video chat or just with our voices._ Link opened the door to his room and set his backpack down to rest on the side of his bedside.

Link kicked off his shoes and fell back onto his bed, pulling out his phone and turning it on.

He had gotten a few notifications, but the one he was looking for was Zelda's—which he had found...well, as long with another message. Mipha's.

In complete truth, the two hadn't been talking to one another once the confession happened, and Link hated himself for it, so having seen she sent him a message kind of unnerved him.

Link decided to read Zelda's message first before heading onto Mipha's.

 _Zelda: "Oh yay! Good lol 'cause I've been wanting to ask you lately if you had Skype? Phone or laptop or something? Because I really would love to be able to talk to you freely and not through text all the time lol not that I don't mind it tho."_

A grin formed onto Link's features. That was exactly what he had been wanting! He sent, _"Yeah : D I do have skype but i didnt know if you did so i just waited lol I barely use it and so i was actually wondering recently if we could talk verbally to each other as well, faces involved ;p_

His smile turned soft after he sent the message, debating with himself if he should say what was on his mind.

…

 _Will she think I'm weird? Maybe not...but also, maybe yes. Ugh. I'll just do it, no harm done. I'm a man._

 _Link: "Also, I rlly like to hear your voice haha its very soothing to listen to. And that little accent of yours is also quite interesting ;D_

 _Phew, there you go, Link._ Link smiled to himself and gave himself a pat on the back...well- the best he could, considering he was laid down.

 _Now...on to Mipha._ Link closed his email app and went onto his messages, finding Mipha to be the first one. _So what does she have to say now?_

He skimmed over the message at first, but he went back and read it again a lot more carefully when he saw the word "love".

 _Mipha: "Link, I'm sorry I havent been talking to you lately… I've been kind of avoiding you I guess? I just...after you confessed to me...I didn't know what to think. I'm not sure if I love you the same. There was a point in time I did, but I didn't think you'd feel the same so I gave up and moved on. I thought it was just a childish crush I had back in middle school."_

Link's breathing became more calm, his heart beating slowly for he was not able to comprehend what was going on. He saw Mipha sent another line of a few messages, so he moved on to that.

 _Mipha: "Also uh"_

" _I don't know how to put this into words…but I think im just simply not ready for a relationship. I truly hope you understand and that we can still be friends? I don't want this to ruin anything."_

Link sighed. He didn't really bother to answer Mipha, so he just turned off his phone and set it aside on the bed.

He contemplated on responding or just closing his eyelids and resting, for he was stressed and fearful their friendship _may_ actually break apart.

Mipha was right, though. Just because he confessed, something so measly wouldn't have ruined what they had. Link was glad he was at least able to be friends with the red Zora. It was better than losing her.

 _Better having my heart broken than losing a friendship I care so deeply about._ Link closed his eyes and turned to his side, the need of sleep wanting to take over. It wanted to, but it never happened because he heard the little voice of his notifications echo around the room.

Link forced his arm up to grab his phone, his eyes remaining closed until the phone was within a comfortable distance. He saw it was a notification for some subscription he signed up.

A sigh came out of Link as he closed his eyes once again and let his phone go limp in his hold. _I should really unsubscribe from that thing, but I'm too lazy and I also don't even know how; how sad._

Link had started falling asleep, but a notification from his phone a few minutes later caught his attention and woke him right back up.

Softly, he had groaned. He wanted to ignore it, thinking it was another subscription or some useless email of some sort, but he was worried it might actually be Zelda or Mipha or someone of importance trying to talk to him, so he used his willpower to grab his phone again and answer it.

A grin grew on his face.

 _Zelda:_ _"YAY! :D okay so I'm just going to assume your email for your skype is the same as the one you have now and we can work something out with that. Check your phone or laptop in a few._

Link laughed in spite of himself. Zelda's eagerness started to warm him every time she had her moments of excitement over little things, which happened pretty often whenever they chatted.

Feeling a little bright, he sent back, _"Alright ! : D"_

Grinning from ear to ear, the corner of Link's eyes crinkled. He was so happy he had met Zelda, because, honestly, he became a lot more comfortable with than he did with anyone in his life, aside from Impa. Even Mipha took a while to grow accustomed to.

What he was not aware of, though, was the amount of secrets he would find. All of them tying up to the girl he encountered.

 **Hello :) I'm sorry for not updating in a while. I didn't have much motivation and I've been busy because of school. I honestly feel like this story isn't good, so I've been wallowing in self-doubt lmao. BUT, some of you guys seem to enjoy it so it wouldn't be nice to those people who do enjoy this fic lol. I have a two new zelink fics in mind. One is a zombie apocalypse AU** **and a short multi-chapter single parent AU.**

 **Any-who** **, I do hope you guys enjoyed this. I apologize for any errors :)**

 **Till next time :)**

 **P.S, here's a little thing my friend wrote when Link was about to read Mipha's first message. She wrote this during study hall when I wasn't looking and I decided to keep it cause it was hilarious to me.**

 _Mipha: "no homo"_

 _Zelda ; "thought vyou were bae but your only famn"_

 _Mipha " jk i fucke link._

 _Zelda " three sum_

 _Mipha " i said nho homo!"_

 _Link "_ _( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

 _Mipha " ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°),_

 _Zelda " ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°),_

 _And they live happy ever after_

 _But they got stds from the fish and died_

 _The end by green gaint._


	7. 6 - Lake

"...and then I accidentally fell off the tree but," Link shrugged and grinned, "it was alright, y'know?"

Zelda, on the other side of Link's phone, visibly laughed. "What a very weird story to tell. I'm not even surprised you fell off the tree." She grinned and moved closer to her video camera, whispering, "If anything, I can kind of relate."

Link let his other arm fall to his side whilst the other had kept holding his phone in the air, making sure it was held tightly enough so it did not fall on his face. He scratched his head and tilted it against the pillow. "How so?"

"Well…," Zelda smiled a little shyly, "I was playing hide and seek once with one of my friends when I was around my toddler years. But, uh...I always had creative areas to hide. There's, like, a tree outside my room's window so I jumped from my window and tried to get to the tree but I ended up missing by a little so I just held onto the branch for dear life- hey, don't laugh!"

Link couldn't help himself. "That's just kind of wild; you jumped from your window to a tree? How old were you, eight?"

"Around there."

Link let out a laugh once more and waved her on with his free hand. "Continue on."

"Okay, so I was holding on—let me just tell you this now, my room is about three stories high—" Link cringed, but that didn't stop Zelda—"so when I fell I had broken at least my arm and dislocated my shoulder."

Link twisted his expression, shifting his arm. "Ouch. That sounds really bad. Did anyone see you hanging onto the tree?"

"Haha...well…," Zelda scratched her cheek with a cheeky grin, "the person I was playing hide and seek with heard me screaming for help so they were _one_ of the people who had witnessed my injury. A few gardeners were outside, actually, so that was how I got to the hospital very soon."

"Huh…" Link sighed and a small smile made way to his face. " _You_ need to be more careful. You were lucky there were some gardeners outside. Were they your neighbors? Or were they some personal gardeners?"

"Oh, they were—" Zelda paused, she quickly shifted her mind and said the opposite of what she was going to originally say. "They were my neighbors who saw me, but I used to call them gardeners because they always planted crops whenever I saw them in their backyard."

"Ah, well that makes sens-" Link's sentence was cut short when he had heard knocking on his door. "Oh, hold on."

Link brought his phone close to his chest and made sure it didn't seem like he was in a video chat with someone. "Yes?"

Impa opened his door and peeked her head in. "Who's here?"

"H-huh? What do y-"

Impa sighed and shook her head,

resting her hand on her crooked hip. "Who were you talking to then?"

"Uh, myself."

"Link, I don't think you're that lonely."

Link sighed himself, bringing his phone up to smile at Zelda reassuringly and turned his screen to show Zelda to Impa.

"Oh, uh, hi!" Zelda waved at Impa, so Impa did the same back.

"Hello." Impa smiled kindly, and when Link turned the camera back to him that meant it was Impa's cue to say, "She's very pretty, is she your girlfriend?"

Link was sure Zelda _saw_ him turn red through the screen, but either way, he still groaned in embarrassment and flushed.

"N-no! I met her not even a week ago, Impa!" he whined.

Impa smiled and slowly made her way out from where she stood. "We'll talk more during dinner; it's ready, by the way."

"'Kay." Link watched as Impa closed his door, and once the well-known click was heard he turned back to his now-lifted phone and smiled kindly at the girl behind the screen. "Sorry, that was my aunt."

"Is it the same aunt who you've mentioned to me before?"

Another smile, a lot brighter, came out of Link. "Yup. And," his smile went down to a small frown, "I-I actually have to go now; to eat dinner."

Link noticed that Zelda seemed saddened to hear he had to go, so he felt a little sense of pride that she had enjoyed his company…well, in some way.

"Oh…well, alright then." She put on a smile to start off the departure.

"Will you be on when I get back? I usually come back to my room in about half an hour to an hour later, " Link Inquired.

"Well…that can depend. I usually don't do much around this time but my father sometimes calls me out to do some…," Zelda looked away from her screen in thought, "things...for him, I guess."

"Ah. Well, alright then, I guess that means I'll talk to you later then?" Link added with a smile. He couldn't wait for when they were to speak to each other again.

Zelda smiled and looked back at her screen at Link, resting her chin in her hand. "I'll keep you updated on that."

"Haha, okay. I'll talk to you later." Link was originally going to end it off on that note, but he added one more word. "...Princess."

He saw Zelda blush slightly and that made him chuckle to himself in amusement.

"O-okay, then. Farewell, Sir Link." Zelda smiled fondly at her...well, friend, and lifted herself up into a proper posture and waved.

Link smiled likewise, waving himself and seeing the call end with the sound of indication that it was over.

A sigh came out of him. He closed his eyes and let his arm fall onto his stomach, phone gripped in his hand—soon, a smile came along. Instead of feeling devastated that the call had ended sooner than he'd like, he felt giddy; giddy for he was then reminded in his mind that the day he was to see his newly made friend was the day after.

He didn't want to be scolded by his guardian, now that he was aware of the reality he was in, so he pulled himself up to jump off his bed.

Link had more of a hop to his step as he walked out to the kitchen, but neither he nor Impa didn't seem to mind.

* * *

"So-"

The sound of a knee hitting the table stopped Impa from what she was about to say, and instead of her mouth moving she left it open with a questioning look on her face as she stared at her nephew.

"Um…," she continued, "are you okay?"

Link's spoon slipped out of his fingers but he grabbed it once again rather messily. He quickly took a scoop from the stew and shoved it in his mouth, nodding quickly.

Impa waited till Link swallowed for him to say, "Y-yeah, sorry. You just scared me; it was really quiet."

Impa let a soft laugh escape. "That's alright. But, I just want to talk about your friend. Who is she?"

Link became more alert and was more focused on Impa than his food, for once. "Huh? The girl I was talking to?"

"Well, yeah, who else?" Impa inquired.

"R-right," stuttered Link, "the girl." He set his spoon down softly and scratched his head, taking a break on his dinner. "Well, she's obviously a friend of mines."

Impa rolled her eyes. "Of course, Link. But _who_ is she? You said you two met not even a week ago." Impa's eyes grew a glint as she leaned forward and smirked. "And, may I add, she is very beautiful."

Link chuckled bashfully and scratched the back of his neck, shrinking away into himself. "Yeah...I suppose she is."

"Do you like her?"

Link stopped his actions and stared at Impa. "Huh?"

"You know, like...love her?"

Link sighed and shook his head. "I mean, I _like_ her. But, as a friend, y'know? Like I said, just met her."

"What's her name?"

Link was almost afraid to tell her, because if anything Impa would be the one to likely tease the most; that aunt of his knew more about history than Zelda and the historics combined. So, instead of answering, he shrugged.

Impa rose an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"I mean, I do, but…"

"But what?"

Link shook his head and let his cheek rest on his palm. "I dunno…"

"Come on, just tell me." Impa grinned and leaned back in her chair. "Is it Hilda?"

Link softly laughed, poking at his stew with his spoon. "Not even close."

"Well then out with it!" Impa laughed and crossed her arms. "Name?"

Link let the spoon fall out of his hand again. "Her name's Zelda."

Now, Link wasn't sure what happened, but the look Impa had for a split second was a reaction he did not expect. He saw she leaned forward and slowly uncrossed her arms, her red eyes focused primarily on his own, which made him feel _immensely_ uncomfortable in that moment.

"Zelda?"

Link nodded, his lips pursed for he was unsure if he even wanted to speak.

"Her name is Zelda?" she asked again, but more like stated.

Link looked around and nodded slowly, his brow forming into a frown. "...why are you so worked up about this?" he drawled.

Impa stared at him with an open mouth, not sure how to find her words. She shook her head in the end, leaning back into her chair. "It's not that I'm worked up, it's just…"

Link nodded his head in her direction, indicating she continued her reason.

Impa had done just that. "It's just...I used to have a friend named Zelda."

"Oh." _So that's what has her worked up,_ Link thought. "What happened to her?"

Impa shrugged and moved her arm so that her hand could grab the cup of water, picking it up in her grip and taking the smallest of sips. "Don't know," she mumbled behind the rim, "guess she just moved away, or something."

Link nodded slowly in understanding. He was not sure how to respond so he just picked up his spoon, awkwardly eating his stew in silence while Impa stared at her food once her cup was put down with her grip still tight on the cup.

He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but when he took a glance at his aunt he swore that he saw a look of fear mixed with sadness linger in her eyes.

* * *

 _Link: "Just two more days to go : D"_

 _Zelda: "I can't wait !"_

 _Link: "that sounded so sarcastic lol"_

 _Zelda: "Haha, nope. I'm genuinely excited :)"_

 _Link: "Great because so am i (: i have a lot i want to show u"_

Zelda: "zahhhhhadsa I CAN'T WAIT! :D"

 _Link: "hahaha lmao ur very excited and that makes me feel the same"_

 _Zelda: ":)"_

* * *

 _Zelda:_ _"One more daaayyy!"_

 _Link: "auhfaurgi yyesss : D"  
_

 _Zelda: "I think I'll bring you a present :)"_

 _Link: "o rlly? why?"_

 _Zelda: "Well...mainly because I was shopping online, I suppose, and I stumbled upon something that seemed like something you'd be interested in so :)"  
_

 _Link: "ahhhuah I'm freaking out bcuz i didn't get u anything and i feel bad because ur over here giving me stuff D;"_

 _Zelda: "Don't worry, you don't have to give me anything Link :)"_

 _Link: "Im getitng u something"_

 _Zelda: "No Link you really don't have to"_

 _Link: ":("_

 _Zelda: ":)"_

* * *

It was then the next day, and it was a special kind of day because the two teens were to meet once again.

Link sat on a bench on his phone, playing a game to let time pass by. He wanted to message Zelda but she didn't have a phone, so he chose to play and just wait.

Guess it was okay to say he went a little early to meet up, but he wasn't able to help himself—he had not felt so excited about someone in forever—so he was not surprised that Zelda was not at central park yet.

He let his focus go back to his game, one which was a strategy game, and he had to figure out a puzzle to see if there was any kind of significance beneath it-

"Boo!"

Link violently jerked away from whoever sneaked up on him and fell off the bench to the ground onto his bottom. He grabbed his phone and turned it off, only to raise his eyesight to look ahead and see a giggling Zelda in front of him.

He slowly grew a smile and laughed as well. He picked himself up from the floor and dusted off his clothes, slipping his phone into his jeans' pocket.

He rubbed his chest to try and mend his beating heart.

"You know, you really scared me, Zelda," claimed Link.

Zelda chuckled again and walked around the bench to meet up with Link. "That was the plan."

"Well, it surely worked. Literally had me jumping off my seat." Link smiled and walked closer to Zelda.

Now that he was up close, and with what Impa had said to him now in his mind, she…really _was_ pretty, maybe even beautiful.

Link shook his head and looked off to the side, a small blush evident on his cheeks. "So…," he took a deep breath and scratched his head, turning back to Zelda with a smile, "how've you been?"

The smile Zelda gave him kind of explained it all to him already; it seemed a little saddened.

"Well," she started, "it was a little lonely. But it's okay because it's really nothing I'm not used to." She paused, seeming to want to say something else but hesitation was visible.

Link didn't say anything until Zelda got her other part out.

"A-and…I guess talking to you was always the highlight of my day, " Zelda continued on.

Link noticed the smile she had; unlike the other lively ones, that particular one was a little bashful and shy. It made him smile to himself.

"I guess I could say the same, really. Overall, " said Link, "you're a really nice person."

Zelda smiled a little more confidently. "I suppose I could say the same, as well."

Instead of speaking, Link nodded with a warm smile etched on his face. It stayed like that for a while, the two just standing there like idiots and staring at each other, but it didn't feel...awkward; if anything, it made the two more elated to be standing in front of one another once again.

Link was going to say something as the two stared into one another's eyes, but Zelda's green ones widened out of nowhere and cleared his mind temporarily.

"Oh, yeah! I brought your present." Zelda was going to reach into her sweater's pocket to grab it, but she smiled slyly and let her arm fall to her side. "Actually," she said, "I'll give it at the end of our day."

Link pouted slightly and shifted his weight onto his right leg, scratching his cheek. "You still didn't need to get me anything; I couldn't get _you_ anything…"

Zelda smiled softly and reached forward to squeeze Link's shoulder. "Don't worry. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, the next time we meet up is when you can get me a present."

Link smiled broadly. _Next time_. He nodded and took hold of her arm, dragging her as he started his walk.

Zelda gladly followed, catching up to walk alongside him with her arm still in his gentle grasp.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked.

Link kept his smile as he kept looking ahead. "Lake Hylia."

Zelda's eyes widened an inch and she used all her willpower to contain her excitement. "Lake Hylia?!" she exclaimed.

Link grew amused as Zelda gripped onto his forearm in exchange for yelling out. "Mm-hm."

Zelda was a lot more lively, just as he remembered from having shown her around for the first time.

"I've seen photos of what it looks like online but...I never really had the chance to see it for myself."

Link smiled as he felt a sense of pride swell up within him; pride for he was happy he was able to help Zelda experience something she had never done or seen before.

"Then mark today as your lucky day," Link said.

Within a few minutes, the lake had come into view.

"Is that it?" Zelda asked excitedly, her smile glowing in the daylight. It was bright enough to grow contagious and have one grow on Link.

"Yes," he said.

Just like an excited puppy being released from their leash, Zelda let go of Link and quickly made her way over. Of course, she was slow enough to take in the surrounding around her.

Lively races filled the area; a Goron child playing by the lake, a Zora family consisting of three swimming _in_ the lake, Gerudo women sitting on the picnic table by the Bridge of Hylia, etc.

"Wow…" Zelda was in awe. She tore her eyes away from her surroundings and made her way to stop in front of the lake itself.

Link had lightly jogged up to her and slowly stopped as he saw her lower down to her knees and run her hands through the water.

He feared she was going to lose balance and fall, so he quickly kneeled beside her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Careful," he said with a soft smile on his face, "you'll lose balance and fall straight into the water."

"I wouldn't mind that." Zelda brought her hands up from the lake and flicked the excess water at Link. Link noticed she smiled while she saw his face contort from the small splash, so he smiled in amusement.

"You sure about that?" Link teased whilst he used his sleeve from his sweater to wipe off the dots of water from his face.

Zelda was about to nod in confirmation, but that was until she saw the mischievous glint in Link's eyes that she wanted to take back her words. "Wait, you're not going to push me in...right?"

Link grinned slyly and reached forward as if he was actually going to push her into the lake, but Zelda squealed as his hands grabbed her shoulders and gave her an extra push backward. Link did not push her all the way, though, so he laughed as he saw the look of fear appear on her face for a split second as she gripped onto his forearms.

Link brought her back up and had a joyful smile on his lips while Zelda had a moment to herself to laugh it off.

She lightly pushed Link on the chest playfully. "You're such a jerk!" She straightened her back and crossed her arms, trying to seem high and mighty. "Is that how you treat a Princess?"

Link laughed and shifted into a playful bow. "My apologies, your highness."

Zelda uncrossed her arms and smiled with mirth. "For such a quiet kid at times, you're really playful."

Link grew a little red when he had heard what she said, which left him to rub the back of his neck. He laughed slightly. "Well…what can I say? I grew up with jokesters all around me."

Zelda nodded in understanding and sat back on her knees. "Well, that would make sense. I am not complaining though," she smiled warmly, "it makes me grow more comfortable to be around you."

Link plopped down onto his bottom and smiled up at the blonde.

Zelda spoke again, her eyes moving with her head to scan her surroundings. "What if we start walk- oh!"

Not even a second later was Zelda up on her feet, running over to another part of the lake. Link's head followed her movement.

"Link," she exclaimed as she waved him over to where she was, "it's a dog! Come over here!"

Link had just stared for a few until a soft smile made way on his face. He pushed himself up from the ground and lightly jogged to the shallow end of the lake Zelda was at.

Once Link was within a few feet, Zelda spoke her mind. "I've never seen a Hylian retriever in person before—" she laughed when the dog sniffed her hand and gave it small licks before nuzzling against it—"they're such adorable creatures."

Link sat down on his bottom once again and let the dog walk up to him and sniff his hand. He lightly scratched its jaw **.** Another broad smile had come upon his face. "It _is_ a really cute dog."

Link focused his attention on a giddy-Zelda. "Ya know," he started, "if you feed them something they'll slowly start to grow attached to you-"

"Do you have any food?"

Link laughed at how eager Zelda was. "No," he said, "not at the moment. But if we come across somewhere with meat, or something, then we can come back and feed it if it's still here."

Zelda nodded with a bright smile and pushed a stray of her blonde hair behind her ear. She moved forward and scratched the dog behind its ear. "What's their gender?" she asked.

"Um…" Link glanced at the dog before going back to Zelda. "I mean...I-I can check…?"

Zelda nodded and sat back once again, waiting for Link.

Link felt weird that he was the one to look, but he had been the one who suggested it, after all. He picked up the dark brown retriever and look at its parts. Not long after did he place the dog back down and look back to Zelda.

"Male," he concluded. He scratched the happy dog behind his ear and noticed something. "Seems to not have a home either."

"Oh no." Zelda frowned and moved from her spot so that she was seated right beside Link, which made him tense a little for a second. "Poor guy, why don't you have a home?"

The dog just wagged his tail and nuzzled his head in between Zelda and Link's bent knees, which lead to the two to chuckle and pet the dog.

"Can we keep him?" suggested Zelda.

Link turned slightly red at her words, pausing his hand on the dog's jaw. "We?" he repeated.

"Well...yeah." Zelda sent a soft smile his way. "Unless you don't want to? I mean, I could just keep him."

"No, no!" Link exclaimed. "I'd love it if we both kept him, really. But, uh...I don't know where he'd stay." He shrugged and kept his focus on the dog's green eyes. He then spoke softly. "I would love if we both did take part in caring for him, though… "

"Hmm…" Zelda tapped a finger on her chin. "I can't take him home… My...well...family aren't really ones for pets."

Link grunted in response. He took his time to think as well.

After some thought, he said, "Maybe I can take him home." He briefly turned his head to Zelda with a smile. "I don't think my aunt would mind; she loves animals."

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked with the tilt of her head. "I don't want you getting in trouble."

Link nodded as part of his answer. "Positive."

Zelda grinned broadly and jumped giddily on her spot on the ground. "Yay! This is my first time ever having any kind of pet, really. I'm excited."

Link smiled moreover to himself and let go of the dog to go and drink from the lake. "What should we name 'im?"

Zelda looked at Link. "Uh. Shoot." She rested her elbow on her knee, her cheek resting as well on a fist. "Well...we met him at Lake Hylia...he's...brown. Lown?"

Link let out a loud laugh, one too loud for his own good, and said, "Did you really just mix the words lake and brown together?"

Zelda shrugged. "Well, I'm not a good name namer."

Link grinned, his eyes fixated on Zelda's own. "That I can tell."

"Well do _you_ have any ideas?" she asked, glancing at the dog for a second.

"Well...how about…" Link paused. He supposed he wasn't very good at name naming as well, but he made it decent.

"Lake?" he suggested. "How about we name our dog Lake?"

"Okay, I see where you're coming from and it's actually not bad." Zelda sat properly. "Shall we go with Lake then?"

Link shrugged, a small smile on. "It's tolerable, it makes sense, and it doesn't sound bad."

"Then Lake it is!" Zelda grinned and ruffled the still-drinking dog's fur from behind. "You hear that? Your name is Lake! And from now on, Link and I are your owners."

The dog stopped drinking his water for a second and barked happily with a wag of his tail before drinking once again.

"Guess he approves," said Link.

Zelda smiled warmly and gave the dog a pat before turning back to Link. "Where is he going to stay for now?"

"Well...maybe we can go and drop him off at my house for now? My aunt'll be able to care for him and get used to him while we go explore."

Zelda nodded slightly at Link's suggestion. "Alright then. How far is your house?"

"Not very far." Link shook his head. "About a fifteen to twenty-minute walk from here."

"Then let's start before it gets dark." Zelda smiled and stood up, reaching her hand out to help him.

Link stared at Zelda's hand, a feeling of familiarity hitting him. He slowly reached up to grasp it, his gaze still on it as she pulled him up with all the strength she could've mustered.

 _Oh,_ he thought, _that reminded me of the first time we met…_ He sighed inwardly and shook his head to clear his mind. Yet, there was a small smile on his face as he picked up the dog.

"Let's go, Lake," he said. He started walking with Zelda at his side. "I'm going to take you home."

"Isn't he heavy?" Zelda asked. She rubbed Lake's head from behind Link since his head was propped on Link's shoulder.

"Eh, not really. He may be a little big but he's light." Link shifted Lake so that he was looking directly at him. "When I take you to my aunt be sure to eat all you can, alright?"

Lake barked and started licking Link's face, making him laugh and retract back. He placed his head back on his shoulder and ruffled his back.

From behind, Zelda was smiling with a big smile on her face. She ruffled Lake's head, but she was staring at the back of Link's head while doing so.

She wasn't sure why but her chest was feeling some type of way that felt...good, but in a weird way. The tightening in her chest was an odd feeling to her, it was something she wasn't able to decipher.

 _I'll just ask Lana later,_ she thought.

* * *

"Where's Zelda?"

Lana froze on the spot; everything was planned out well in her head but now that it was actually time to do her side-job, she froze.

Rhoam just stared at Lana, a confused look on his face. "She would've been out by now...it's almost five."

"Well, Mr. Bosphoramus," Lana said, "she ended up catching the flu. And no," she held her hand up, "it was not because she was out that one day." Lana placed her hands behind her back and leaned on Zelda's bedroom door.

She continued. "She ate something pretty bad the day before and it...well...it seeped in. But she's been vomiting and growing a fever that has been leaving her bedridden."

"Oh no." Rhoam frowned. "Why didn't she let me know?"

"Well," started Lana, "she _just_ got it this morning and I happened to be coming to her room to say good morning."

"Oh. Well, may I go see her?" Rhoam tried to reach for the doorknob but Lana shifted her placement so that she was in front of the knob. She tried her best to not be obvious.

"Um...I don't think that would be a good idea. She said she'd rather you not go see her in fear of getting _you_ sick, Sir."

"Oh...really?" Rhoam raised an eyebrow. He was concerned, yes, but if anything—at that moment from hearing Lana's words—he had started to feel a warm smile reach his features.

"Yes." Lana was confused; she'd never seen her, er, boss look so...touched.

"I...honestly never thought she'd ever feel that way…" Rhoam sighed and walked off to the end of the hallway, away from Zelda's door. "Come, Lana."

Lana was even more confused, but she moved from her spot and stood in front of her friend's father. "Yes?"

"Let me let you in on something I've been thinking…" Rhoam brought his hands together and rubbed them around each other to stay quiet and contained. "I...feel like my daughter and I aren't on really good terms. I just want what's best for her to keep her safe and sound; mainly why I don't let her go out much."

"But won't she be fine? Sir, I'm sorry, but no one knows who your daughter is out there in the public. It's just us who work at the mansion. Heck," Lana chuckled a little to lighten the mood, "even a few of the staff here don't even know she's your daughter."

Rhoam laughed quietly. "You're not wrong." He frowned a little. "But...I don't know if she'll be fine whenever I go and let her hang out at the park or whatnot."

Rhoam looked around the area and lowered his voice, leveling it so only Lana was capable of hearing. "There's...this legend...and...it…"

He sighed. He wasn't able to continue.

"I can't tell you now, but I know you know of my family's history anyway," said Rhoam. He sighed deeply and looked into Lana's eyes. "Just know that's something Zelda is not aware of, as well as there is a lot more you are unaware of."

"O-oh?" Lana felt intimidated, but she kept her posture. "But...Mr. Bosp-"

"Rhoam is just fine," he smiled slightly, "you know that."

"S-sorry...um, Rhoam," corrected Lana. "But, why won't you let Zelda know of your family from long ago? I'm sure it's okay-"

"I-I'm afraid it's not that easy, Lana." Rhoam rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "It's… I just don't want Zelda to feel...pressured or worried about anything."

"Oh. I mean...I suppose that makes sense." Lana bit her bottom lip and fiddled with her hands. "Um...but...why? What's so wrong with your ancestors?"

Rhoam scratched his hairy chin. "Well...that's a story for another time—not really a story, actually but—" he sighed and shook his head—"you know what I mean, Lana."

Lana nodded, not wanting to press the matter even further. "I understand."

"Thank you." Rhoam smiled. "Just know I was telling you all of this because I just want what's best for Zelda despite our continuous arguments. Ever since her mother passed, it's been a little harder to manage things since I'm just a single father trying to take care of my only teenage daughter."

Rhoam glanced at Zelda's bedroom door. "I believe you should now go in there and take care of my daughter. Tell her I love her very much please, I'm finding it hard for her to believe that nowadays."

A soft chuckle escaped Rhoam as he started making way down the hallway. "Tell her I'll stop by tonight to say goodnight. Thanks for listening, Lana."

Lana watched as Rhoam disappeared around the corner of the hallway and sighed with a sad smile etched on her face. "Oh, Zelda…"

 **I'm very late, I'm sorry but I've been insanely busy with school and whatnot. Finals week is in two weeks so I'm hoping to get at least another chapter up by then, but we'll see. I want to try and get a deadline and a weekly thing going for updates but I'm not sure how that will go either lmao. Also, thank you guys for almost 40 favorites and 50 followers on this story :) I'm glad some of you are enjoying it.**

 **I don't want this AN to be too long lmao, till next time :)**


	8. 7 - Twilight

"Wait." Zelda placed her hand on Link's shoulder to stop him from walking.

Both the dog and Link turned to look at her. "Hm?"

They were stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, about seven minutes away from Links house by then.

"Does this mean I'm going to meet your aunt?"

Link smiled warmly with a nod.

Lake barked and stuck his tongue out slightly to lick Zelda's hand, which had gone up to ruffle his head in the break.

"Yeah, and if you have any worries just be sure to know that she'll love you very much." Link chuckled softly. "I mean, she already does."

Zelda smiled and a warm blush grew on her cheeks. "Aw, well, I'm really glad I gave a good first impression."

Link smirked and continued to walk, Zelda following the lead. "You're fine."

Their footsteps and the cranking of cars and publicity were heard all around, thus having made the silence bearable and comfortable.

Zelda had been curious for a long while, though. With hesitation in mind, she tried to get out a question she'd been dying to ask.

"Hey, Link?" she called.

Link nodded his head in indication he was listening.

"Um…" Zelda placed her hands behind her back, growing slightly shy. "How've you and the girl you're in love with—Mipha, I believe—-been?"

Link's figure seemed to lessen a bit, and Zelda had noticed as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Y-you don't have to answer." She sighed. "I'm sorry if it's a sensitive topic, still. I was just-"

"Curious—" Link smiled warmly her way, Lake bundled in his arms comfortably—"I know." He moved his view to Lake and kept his smile on the happy dog for a bit before focusing his view back on their walk. "You're always curious, which is why this journey is still even going on." He turned back to Zelda, smile a little broad. "And I wouldn't want to have it any other way. So...about me and Mipha…"

Zelda nodded, waiting for Link to continue in patience.

Link seemed to struggle to find his words. "I-I— I don't know… I guess we're fine?"

"Have you guys been talking?"

"Uh," Link's voice cracked, "no?"

Zelda frowned. "What happened? Did it just...get awkward?"

Link shrugged, trying to keep a strong facade. "I suppose so."

He bit his lower lip, looking to the ground. His mouth opened for a second, but it was then closed again. He seemed to want to let something out, but he tried to find ways to word it.

"Um," he licked his lips, fidgeting as they walked, "if you're wondering...I…" He sighed. "My feelings for her have been going away. Just… At school, there's been rumors going on and I really don't want that to get to me, so I'm deciding to let her go."

Zelda noticed how soft Link's voice had gotten till the end, and she started to feel bad, in a way. "Oh, Link...I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to-"

"I know," he cut her off softly. He smiled the same way toward her. "I know. But you shouldn't be sorry, you didn't _mean_ to do anything. It was only just a matter of time."

Zelda frowned again, a sigh coming out of her. She wanted to say something, but she saw Link working gears in his head. She waited, watching a sleeping Lake in the meantime.

"But…"

Zelda averted her gaze back onto Link, tilting her head when she saw a light blush form on his face.

He continued. "But...it's alright." He glanced at her. "I mean, I have you to be there for me, and I've gotten closer to you faster than I have with Mipha. Maybe Mipha is just those friends you think you'll be with forever but it just...doesn't work out, y'know?"

Zelda felt a light blush grow as well, but she pushed past it. "Yeah...I know what you mean. But...honestly, Link—" she hesitated, but gave a small smile either way—"you're the first friend I've made...in person, to be clear."

Link was shocked. "Wh— really?!"

Zelda laughed lightly. "Yeah… I just...never really had, like...any... _real_ friends." She chewed on her bottom lip, forming words. "And...I know we met not even a month ago 'n all, but…," she smiled sincerely, "I dearly hope we can be friends for as long as possible."

Link stared at Zelda just for a little, but a smile grew eventually. "Me too."

The two stared at each other again, the walk seeming to have stopped whilst they were conversing.

 _I feel it again…_ Zelda sucked in a subtle breath, chewing on her lip in thought. _That...feeling—in my chest, it's right there._

Zelda shook her head and came back to her senses, smiling and nodding to the direction they were walking. "The way, Sir Link."

Link seemed to have gotten to his senses as well, for he widened his eyes a bit and sucked in a breath when Zelda spoke. "O-oh, yeah." He smiled, walking once again. "Follow my lead, your highness."

Zelda, once again, kept her mind on the feeling in her chest as she walked alongside Link.

 _I don't get it. I've read books before on romance and love, but I can't be sure if what I'm feeling is what I think it is whenever I stare at Link._ Zelda side glanced at her friend, shaking her head to herself. _I can't be...in_ love _with him; we_ just met _!_

 _Besides…_ , she let her mind take over, _we're just friends, and I've never really felt this way toward a person before. I'll just have to definitely ask Lana about this later._

"Hey," Link spoke, interrupting Zelda's train of thought. Zelda looked at him, having expected him to be looking at her but he was still looking ahead in their walk.

Lake had awaken by then, whining for a reason Zelda was unsure of; hunger, likely.

"Hm?" Zelda focused on Link.

"So...my aunt." Link nodded his head toward a house that was about five or so minutes away. "Beware, she's a bit on the teasing side."

Zelda smiled lightly. "I had a feeling she is, considering how she acted when I first…'met her'."

"Haha, yeah… But don't fret," Link smiled her way, "she'll love you."

Zelda felt warm hearing those words, she'd heard them once before but it still made her happy. "I hope."

Lake barked, whining louder. He placed his head on Link's shoulder and whined quieter.

"I think he's hungry, so I'll have my aunt give him something; meat or...whatever," shrugged Link.

"Ah, perfect." Zelda ruffled Lake's fur, eyeing him with a glint in her eyes. "Can I...hold him?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Link stopped walking and turned to face Zelda. "We're almost at my house, but I'll let you have your fun." He held Lake out and placed him in Zelda's awaiting arms.

Zelda was grinning, contentment all over her face. "He's so…," she brought him up to her cheek to nuzzle him against her, "soft and fluffy."

Link smiled warmly seeing Zelda act like that. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't cute or adorable to see Zelda as she was at that moment.

"Indeed he is, your majesty." A broader smile broke free. "Anything you need, your appointed knight shall help thee."

Zelda started laughing, finding it amusing that Link's words rhymed. "I shall keep thy up to that."

Link smiled, walking again after motioning Zelda to follow. "Let's get going."

* * *

Link and Zelda waited till the door was swung open, Lake impatiently in Zelda's arms.

Impa appeared in view, face in shock for a split second until it broke into a grin. She exclaimed, "Link! You're here!"

She stepped aside and Link knew what was coming right as they entered the house from the look his aunt had.

"Also, I see you brought your girlfriend as well." Impa closed the door and held her hand out for Zelda to shake.

Zelda put Lake down, Link keeping watch over him, and turned to Impa. A blush was formed over her cheeks but she still smiled and grasped Impa's hand. "Hi, Miss Impa. It's nice to actually meet you in person, but…," she glanced to Link, "your nephew and I aren't together as a couple."

Impa feigned sadness. "Well darn. Also...just call me Impa, but…" She released Zelda's hand and turned to Link, smiling upon seeing his pink face. "You sure you don't want to make it official Link?"

Link groaned softly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Impa…"

Impa's smile turned soft. "You know I'm just joking—that is, until it comes true."

Link turned red again and both Zelda and Impa laughed at him, Zelda's blush not stopping her.

"Anyway," Impa walked up to fatigued retriever, "whose dog is this?"

Zelda stepped forward to answer. "Uh- well…," she gestured between her and Link, " _ours_. We found him at Lake Hylia and decided to keep him since he was a stray."

Link spoke right after. "We decided to bring him here for you to care for him since Zelda's dad doesn't allow pets." He rested his hands on his hips. "Can we...keep him?"

Impa smiled. "Sure. I'll be sure to take care of him, as well." She looked down at Lake, shifting over to him to crouch down and pet him. "I'm assuming he's hungry."

Link nodded and grunted in affirmation while Zelda said, "Yeah."

"Hm. Alright, I'll also be sure to feed him." Impa turned to Zelda. "Is there a name that's been established?"

"Yeah, uh, Lake."

With a growing smile, Impa chuckled. "Who came up with that one?"

Zelda motioned her head to Link, Impa's eyes following. She laughed and stood up, going to Link to ruffle his hair.

"It's such a basic name but it works," she said.

Link frowned when Impa released her hand, for his hair was getting undone from its ponytail. "Impa you messed up my hair," he whined.

"Oh, yeah? Well I don't think Zelda minds how your hair looks or not, so why should it matter?" his aunt teased.

Link looked toward Zelda, a slight blush on his cheeks as he saw her giggling with a slight red to her face.

He frowned and released his hair from the band that once held it, combing his fingers through his hair to tame it down again before moving his hands to tie it back up.

"You don't know how long this takes," Link grumbled.

Zelda laughed. "Link, that took you less than twenty seconds."

"Yeah, you're over exaggerating, kid." Impa picked up Lake, motioning towards the kitchen. "I'm going to go feed him, okay?"

Link nodded. "Okay. Zelda and I are going back to the lake and whatnot, we just came so you can take care and watch over Lake for us."

Impa smiled as she saw Link grab Zelda's hand and lead the way to the door to walk out.

"Bye, Impa!" Link said, opening the door.

"Farewell!" Zelda said as well, closing the door herself.

Impa's eyes lingered on the door, a smile gracing her features. She laughed quietly to herself as she walked with Lake in her arms into the kitchen. "Let's get you some food, Lake."

As Impa gave Lake some meat, which he had eagerly eaten, she thought back to the two teenagers as they left.

 _Something has to be going on with Zelda's feelings towards my nephew if she blushed when he grabbed her hand. Link's as well, too..._

Impa grinned to herself as she watched Lake eat. "Lake, I'm betting you an unlimited supply of meat that sometime, someday Link and Zelda will be together as a couple.

She got a joyful bark in response.

* * *

"Your aunt was super nice."

Link smiled when he turned to look at Zelda. "I told you."

Zelda smiled back, the feeling of Link's hand in hers still giving her chest an odd feeling ever since they had left the house.

...and she was sure her hands were starting to get awkwardly sweaty.

"So, uh…," Zelda felt Link squeeze her hand in response, which made her grow a small blush, "where is it we are going now?"

Link scratched his cheek with his free hand. "Well...we can go back to Lake Hylia. You still haven't explored much of that area."

A nod came from Zelda. "I have not, indeed."

Link tightened his grip on Zelda's hand, though it was not in the least uncomfortable. He smiled and started moving into a jog.

Before she could lose her footing, Zelda started jogging as well. Her hand had instinctively grasped Link's hand a little tighter. "Why are you running?!"

"We need to get there faster so that we have a longer time together," Link exclaimed. He looked back at her briefly and grinned broadly, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

Zelda laughed lightly, a smile expanding onto her face. When Link looked back ahead of them, she saw they were closer to Lake Hylia than they were before.

Zelda pulled on Links hand to slow him down, a thought heavy on her mind.

"Hey, Link?" she asked. Link turned at her words, head tilted slightly as they stopped.

"Hm?"

Zelda used her free hand to scratch her head. "Well, for one, this is the longest I've held hands with someone—" Link blushed and Zelda chuckled—"but I also wanted to ask...why are you so determined to show me around?"

Link stared at her with a slight furrowed brow but Zelda opened her mouth again before Link did. She said, "It's just...this never really occurred to me until you said you wanted to hurry so that we had more time to hang out."

Link was at loss for words, which made Zelda regret having said anything, but he then said, "Well...if I'm going to be honest...I just _do_ enjoy showing you around because I get to…," he paused, his grip on her hand tightening a bit more to justify, "well, hang out with you more. I enjoy your company Zelda, and I am glad you saw what happened between me and Mipha because if not then we wouldn't have met." He smiled, but a blush was growing. That was the most he'd ever been open like that with someone, even more someone of his opposite gender.

Zelda had red to her face, but a warm smile grew. She walked closer to Link, which made him alerted, and shifted their hands. Link grew even more red when he saw Zelda had intertwined their hands together.

"I, too, am glad we met Link. You're a great person." Zelda stared at him a little longer, wanting to say something but was hesitating to do so. Instead, she just turned back to the direction Lake Hylia was at and smiled at Link briefly. "Let's get going?"

Link nodded with a soft smiled and let Zelda lead the way at that moment, their intertwined hands giving the female a warm feeling inside her chest, once again.

* * *

"You know, Link," Zelda said, "this lake had a lot of significance back in the twilight era."

Link stopped skipping rocks on Lake Hylia and turned to Zelda, whom was seated cross legged on the edge of the lake. "Yeah?"

Zelda smiled when Link walked over to sit beside her. She ran her and through the still water. "Long ago— _way_ long ago—the Hero of Twilight had redeemed the lake back to its former self from the dark Twilight Realm on his own." She turned to Link. "Did you know about that?"

Link shook his head. "Not really. All I knew of the Hero of Twilight was that his name was Link as well," he and Zelda laughed, "but, also that he saved Hyrule from the Twilight realm?" He scratched his head. "I didn't know Lake Hylia was trashed too."

Zelda laughed. "Well, Hyrule _does_ include Lake Hylia."

"Oh." Link laughed at himself and shook his head, a smile on his lips. "Well, of course."

"But…y'know, that's just what the notes from the historics say though. We aren't sure of what actually happened. Actually, I heard a rumor it was Princess Zelda from that era who had written notes about the events that happened, which is why we don't know a lot because a lot of the writing was scattered and lost one day."

Link listened intently, interest written across his face. "Really?"

Zelda looked at him, staring into his focused, cerulean eyes. "Yeah."

"That's rather interesting." Link bit his lip. "Uh, I actually heard somewhere a long while ago that the Hero of Twilight was able to shapeshift into a wolf...and that he had a companion named Midna, or something..." Link threw his hands into the air and shrugged, a confused look on his face. "I don't know, I heard that a long while ago."

"Really? I don't think I ever recall that happening back in the Twilight era with the Hero…" Zelda tapped her chin in thought. She turned to Link. "You sure you heard all that?"

"W-well," Link scratched his cheek, "I guess it was more in a dream where I imagined that happening. I don't know if it was just my imagination, really."

"Hm." Zelda smiled and nudged his shoulder with her own. "Now _that_ is rather interesting, Mr. Link."

He laughed and turned a little bashful. "I suppose so, but I'm sure someone told me. I forgot where and when I was told, but it was... _someone_ who told me."

Zelda saw how in thought Link looked at that moment, which made Zelda interested in what he was thinking.

 _Could he really have had a dream like that?_ Zelda shook her head and scooched closer to Link while he was thinking to himself, reaching over his lap to grab a flat rock to skip.

Link awoke and made a confused face when he saw Zelda sit back down again, blushing once he saw how much closer she was. "U-uh, what're you doing?"

Zelda gave him a grunt instead of an actual answer and tried to skip the rock, but she was sitting so it wasn't as effective so it just plopped into the water.

"Darn." Zelda frowned and Link laughed.

"Well, that's not really how you do it," said Link. He looked from the lake to Zelda and while he did that Zelda also had moved her gaze the same way.

Link held his breath when he saw how...physically close Zelda was to him—even more than before. His breath was literally taken away, she was just so... _beautiful_.

Zelda, on the other hand, was staring into his beautifully colored eyes. Her heart rate was increasing to a level she'd never experienced before, lest she was running.

 _He's so close!_ She bit her lip when she and Link unconsciously went closer, but before she let anything happen, she said something. Her voice was unexpectedly soft when she spoke. "I-I think we should go somewhere else, Link."

Link broke free from the trance they were in and moved his face slightly back, the tips of his pointy ears down to his cheeks turning red in realization of what was about to happen. "O-oh...uh…" His voice cracked and he cleared out his throat, looking away. "Y-yeah."

Link moved away from Zelda and stayed seated for a few seconds, a million thoughts seeming to go through his head before he pushed himself up and reached out for Zelda. He smiled despite the red tints on his face overtaking him. "Let's head over to somewhere the Hero of Time has visited before."

And those words were the ones that removed every previous thought from her mind right when she grabbed onto his hand.

 **udfhifguh this is one of my more shorter chapters and that I am sorry about, midterms just ended and I've been writing this chapter way before then so I wasn't able to get much done, obviously. I have a lot of projects I'm going to be doing this week as long as some tests I'm going to try and ace so I'm releasing this chapter despite it being so short so that you guys have something to read before the updates take forever again. I'm always debating on putting on a deadline for this but then I know I won't be able to make it with all the work I have and am going to have. Summer vacation I will have deadlines cause I'm more free there lmao. I have two Zelink AUs in plan and drafted down anyway lol**

 **Also, I hope this chapter was okay, I'm glad a few of you are enjoying this fanfic, even the quiet ones. I'm gonna go now though, I need to sleep since I have school tomorrow. Till next time :) (sorry for any mistakes)**


	9. 8 - Deja Vu

Link looked around at his surroundings, keeping a firm grip on Zelda's hand as he waded through the tall grass.

They were heading someplace that was not very far from the park itself.

"So...where is it we are going exactly?" asked Zelda. She was behind Link, looking around the nearly-empty field of grass.

Link stopped where he was and turned around, startling Zelda. He smiled and brought her closer with the tug of his hand and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to face the direction behind her.

Zelda turned her head to and fro, confused. "What is it?"

She practically heard Link's smile as he spoke. "What do you see?"

That was her cue to invest in her surroundings. "Uh…" She glanced around the field, trying to spot something other than the scattered trees and flowers. She turned to look at Link. "Grass?"

Link laughed lightly. "Yes, you can see grass—" he released her and held up a finger, pointing in the distance—"but do you see that big building over there?"

Zelda let her eyesight follow his finger and was rewarded with her "humble abode". "Oh," she said.

Link nodded, slight mirth to his expression as his finger lowered. "Yeah. Have you heard of the rumor about that building? Well, aside it from being the home of Hyrule's richest, of course."

Zelda was a little put on the spot, but she kept her cool the best she could. "Um...that the richest has a daughter?"

Link perked. "Oh, yeah, that I actually forgot." He laughed slightly. "I know he has one but I don't know what she looks like or who she is now, so I just let it go."

 _Well, you actually do now,_ was what Zelda had thought but she never said it aloud. "True, true. But...what's the rumor, though?"

Zelda was interested; she had never heard of her family or home having rumors before so that was new to her.

"Well," Link started, "it's rumored that that big ol' mansion was once the castle of Hyrule long ago." He scratched the back of his head. "I suppose it makes sense on why it's so big and overlooking the whole country. As well, it seems to be in the same location as it was over five hundred centuries ago on a map." Link shrugged, smiling at Zelda. "I dunno, they're just assumptions, though, since Rhoam said himself it isn't a remake of the castle. It's kind of weird how those guys up there have such a big secret we, the so-called 'commoners', do not know about…"

Link was looking at Zelda, but Zelda turned back to look at the mansion, an expression Link was not able to decipher. He stared at her side view for a little longer until deciding to loop his arm through hers, smiling at the sudden surprise he gave her after releasing her from the trance.

"Let's just keep going," Link said with a smile. He started walking back in the direction they were once going, Zelda comfortably at his side.

She was silent, but Link was not able to understand why. Was she taking it all in? He was not sure.

"Hey," he uttered. She looked at him as they walked through the grass, alone in the silence of nature.

Link was facing forward, keeping eye on direction. "Isn't it...kinda _weird_ that Hyrule doesn't have a government anymore?" He turned his head to look at Zelda briefly to see her reaction—one of clear captivation, he noted.

"Well...I think it is," he exclaimed. With the feeling of Zelda squeezing his arm within hers made him continue knowing she was interested.

"It's just...we used to have all this kingdom kinda government back then, but now we don't even have that and we're left with just a rich guy watching over us with little to no power—" he peered at Zelda—"just...wealth."

Zelda listened intently. She didn't say anything, which was unusual to both Link and her, but she did not know what to say—Link was right! She was left in confusion and many thoughts because he was simply _right._

"I suppose you're right," she mumbled. She looked up into his eyes and saw he was looking at her with a little worry in his eyes.

She wanted to tell him she was fine, but the truth was she wasn't sure if she was. What he said about the castle made the most sense...but...that didn't—it could _not_ —mean she was royalty. It was simply ridiculous! If she was part of that royalty bloodline, wouldn't she have some sort of power the past princesses had? She surely did not have any power.

That sparked more curiosity in Zelda more than ever, so she popped the next topic. "Hey, Link?"

He stopped the walk, turning his head to face her as to not unlock their arms; her hands had grasped his sleeve abruptly, either way. "Yes?"

"Um...if...the royal bloodline still existed," she gazed into his eyes, "the daughter would have the Triforce, no?"

Link tilted his head, feeling her hands start to shake unexpectedly. He briefly glanced at her hands before covering them with his own to calm them down, peering back into her eyes.

He answered her question. "Ah...well...I suppose so… But, the Triforce is said to be passed down each generation to a member of the royal bloodline tied to the goddess. And…," he laughed nervously, "well, there hasn't been any royalty going on around here."

"But does it also not grant someone whatever they wish for?"

"Well…" Link paused. He tightened his fingers around her hand, sounding more confident. "That's what others say, but we can't be so sure. My aunt told me that was what it was for, to grant anyone who held the Triforce in their blood any wish."

Zelda observed his expression, noticing he was going to say more so stayed quiet.

"But…," he inquired, "I read somewhere by someone that it was passed down to at least three people—the Hero, the Princess, and the great evil they have to fight."

Zelda saw a look of uncertainty flash through his face before he added, "I…don't know, though." He shrugged and shook his head.

Zelda softly grunted, unsure how to answer. For some odd reason, though, she felt...uneasy. And it wasn't a good feeling. Link, too, felt the same.

Unbeknownst to the other, they both felt a sudden sense of deja vu right on the field they were on, hands being held.

The birds in the background were chirping while the two were standing in silence, confused on their own.

Link broke the silence off first. "Um…let's just keep going before it gets too late, Zelda." He smiled softly and laced his fingers through her own, having her let go of his arm so that they walked side by side, hand in hand.

As crazy as it may have sounded to Link, he found a sense of comfort every time he held Zelda's hand. Which was why he usually always did it to guide her.

Zelda, on her part, felt a sense of comfort as well but the swelling in her chest was odd enough already.

They walked in silence—comfortable silence. The singing birds were heard, the whistling of the soft wind was heard and created a fresh breeze for the two.

It was about three minutes later when Zelda spoke again. "Are we almost there, Link?"

Zelda saw Link look farther into the distance and squint his eyes, a bright smile making way to his face once he got her answer. He faced her to say, "In about five minutes we will be there, your highness, worry not."

Despite the uneasy feeling she had on the topics of royalty and whatnot, she still giggled. "Thank you, Sir Link."

Link felt relieved the tension was no longer present at that moment. "What for?"

Zelda smiled softly and gave his hand a soft tug. "For… _this_." She gestured all around, turning back to Link with a grin.

Link had a smile on his face, but he was taken aback. Zelda's own smile was something that had grown on him, but every day they met it started giving her more character and adding more beauty to his eyes.

"Well…," Link smiled bashfully, "it's my pleasure."

Once Link looked back ahead of them, the sounds of nature were soothing to his ears while he collected his thoughts.

 _Zelda herself has been growing on me bit by bit, and...with what had almost occurred back at the lake is just giving me more to think about._ Link glimpsed to his side, watching as Zelda had a content smile on her face in their walk.

He looked back, seeing the scattered ruins in the distance. He sighed and chewed on his lower lip, the squeeze he gave to Zelda's hand making him feel...mushy, in a way.

 _Were we going to kiss?_ he thought. _I...I don't know what would've happened if we_ did _, is the thing. Do I...like her like that?_ Link looked at Zelda in the corner of his eye. _No. I can't be feeling like that for her. We met only just about a week ago, there's no way my feelings could do total swerve like that after what happened with Mipha._

A frown entered Link's mind, which produced one outside. _I guess...feelings just_ do _have a mind of their own, unfortunately._

 _But…_ , his thoughts continued in the silence, _this is a friendship I do not want to screw up. Yes, Zelda is very pretty and very outgoing and easy to talk to—yes, she also is comfortable enough for me to be myself around, but...I can't love her in that way. It'll just give us both a hard time and ruin what we have, and I can't have that happen again. Mipha and I don't even talk as much anymore!_

Link shook his head in frustration, alerting Zelda.

"What?" she asked.

Link turned to her, eyes wide. "Oh, uh...nothing. Sorry, I was just thinking."

Hearing that had made Zelda laugh, which gave Link a familiar pang to his chest.

"You know, Link," she said, "you really _do_ talk more with your mind than you do in person."

Link shrunk himself slightly, about to retort with a blush on his face until Zelda said, "But it's okay." She smiled and nudged her shoulder with his, giving Link a comforting squeeze to the hand in reassurance. "It makes you you and that's what makes you great to me."

Link blushed red, igniting a giggle from Zelda.

"I'm sorry, I really can't hold it in but I just _need_ to say this one thing." Zelda waited for Link to give her a signal to let it out, which was a nod.

She uttered, "I just find it... _cute_ , I suppose, that you always get red pretty easily."

Link was burning now, making Zelda laugh even more. He started to stutter. "U-uhm...thank you? Uh—" He bit his lip, unsure how to respond. Zelda did not know how much her words had an effect on his feelings toward her, and it hurt he could not say anything.

"I prove my point," concurred Zelda. She smiled with a bright aura around her and looked forward, seeing the torn area.

"Whoa," she gasped. She started walking faster, her grip tightening on a red Link's hand to bring him with her pace.

They walked up to a hardly-standing wall, wooden. Zelda used her free hand to graze her fingers over the piece of wood, being careful as it seemed fragile. She looked around the area of the broken building before gazing at what was left of a fence surrounding the area—well, used to.

She turned to Link, who had calmed down during her admiration. "Is this where you wanted to take me?"

Link smiled a little, a nod coming from him. He hummed a "yes" and spread out his free arm. "Welcome to the ruins of what was once Lon Lon Ranch."

"Wha—" Zelda couldn't continue what she wanted to say, the words stuck in her throat. She shook her head in disbelief and kept her eyes on Link. "How?"

"Hm?" Link tilted his head and felt Zelda release her hand from his. A sudden feeling overcame him and out of the blue his hand felt cold.

"Just... _how_ did you ever find out about this? It's in the middle of nowhere!" Zelda laughed incredulously and scratched her head, and despite the confusion she still was amazed.

Link shrugged nonchalantly. "I dunno, I was just exploring out one day and saw this, and I looked into it and apparently it's Lon Lon Ranch, which was very well-known since it was owned by someone the Hero of Time back then once knew."

"Wow...that's amazing!" Zelda laughed breathlessly and shook her head.

"But…," started Link, holding up a finger, "the Hero of Time wasn't the only one who had this... _dead_ building around." He smiled, bringing his hands behind his back. "Many other incarnations of the Hero knew this place."

Least to say, Zelda was baffled. _So I'm assuming Lon Lon Milk came from this place… If we're gonna compare the name here, that is,_ she thought. She turned back to Link's face in focus and smiled. "This is great, really. How did it...die off?" She tilted her head. "When?"

It was Link's turn to smile, a chuckle coming out of him. "Guess the tables turned since _I_ actually know more history about this than you do."

A laugh came out of Zelda. "If I'm going to be honest, I was unaware of this place even existing."

"Hm...interesting." Link reached forward to grab Zelda's shoulder, pushing her ahead of him a bit before loosely wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He initiated a walk around the ruins.

He started speaking. "So...the Resurrected Hero actually used to come here a lot, apparently—as told by my dear aunt—and he would hang around with the Princess and Shalon, who was the owner before it got ruined."

"How...does your aunt know about this?" Zelda looked into Link's eyes, confusion all over her features.

Link took a breather, thinking himself. He and Zelda stepped over a lonesome piece of wood. "Y'know...now that you mention it, I don't even know. Maybe she heard it somewhere? Dunno, I'll ask, or something."

A hum came from Zelda. "Alright. Continue on, then."

A nod came from Link. "Well…when the Calamity hit, that was when it got torn down. It was obviously affected greatly since—" Link turned around, gesturing to the massive house overlooking them miles away—"ya know, it was close to the castle that was supposedly once there."

Unconsciously, Zelda shifted closer to Link's side as his arm tightened. "I...guess that makes the most sense. But—" she twisted and turned, looking around in wonder—"why is it not all gone? It looks pretty…recent for it being almost five centuries ago."

Link laughed. "Well, about that, right after the Hero rescued the Princess and rebuilt most of the castle they also requested a repair on this place."

 _Fascinating._ The blonde smiled to herself, insanely interested. She turned to Link, seeing a small pout on his face which made her tilt her head again.

"Alon, the last owner of this place had passed about two decades after its rebuild; it was a success." Link sighed and stopped walking, standing upon a tattered up bench. "No one had the heart to take over—he never married or had children of his own—and eventually this place was abandoned for a ranch was not needed here anymore. "

To describe Zelda at that moment would've been an understatement to say she was amazed, she was absolutely _in awe._ " _Wow_!" she exclaimed.

A breathy laugh came out of her as she grabbed Link's hand, the one hanging over her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. She said, "I...find it so amazing how your aunt knows pretty much _everything_ about this place."

Link broke a sweat. His voice cracked when he said, " _Well_ …," he sucked in a breath, "Impa told me to keep quiet about this—"

"Wha- really?" Zelda pulled back a little to see his face clearly.

Link nodded, a little pink to his face. "It's all true, apparently, but she doesn't want to tell anyone aside from me because they'll think she's crazy."

"Well, I believe her," inquired Zelda.

A nervous laugh left Link, he brought her closer to his side for slight comfort. "Just please don't tell her I told you this," he begged.

Smirking slyly, Zelda pulled back away from Link and crossed her arms. "And if I do…?"

Link pursed his lips, fighting to keep his posture strong. "I-I'd get in trouble," but then he smirked, "and we'd stop this journey."

Zelda chuckled. _Cheeky._ "Would you really, though? For both."

She was relieved to see him shake his head. "For the journey thing, no. And, to be honest, I don't find you to be the type of person to tell this to my aunt, of all people." Link laughed softly.

"But, hypothetically, what if I do?" Zelda wondered.

Link brought his hand up to scratch the back of his head, his hand going into the pocket of his sweater. "I guess she'd get mad, to say the least. She wanted it a secret…" He shrugged and brought his hand back out to run it down his face, the other limp at his side as he sighed. "But," he said, "I know she likes you already. Heck," a laugh came out along with a blush, "she's really aboard on the thought of us going out as—" Link choked on his words, bringing a fist up to cough awkwardly into it. He continued. "As a couple, so to speak."

Zelda, herself, blushed lightly. "Oh. I'm...not surprised, really. I've already seen her in action once before."

Link smiled and turned around to face her house, his gaze steady on it. He leaned on his right leg and pouted in thought.

Zelda walked closer to him, looking at the back of his head as multiple thoughts rummaged through his head. She smiled slightly and reached out to touch his shoulder, but she hesitated and brought her arm back to her side. She bit her lower lip and looked past Link to her house.

A couple deep breaths and silence later, Zelda was unable to debate with her mind. Link seemed to be still thinking, shifting at some point in his stance.

Should she tell him that was where she lived? Zelda opened her mouth, but she closed it again. She closed her eyes as well, thinking hard.

 _Should I do it?_ Zelda thought. She bit her lip. _I mean...I trust him, a lot. He's already proved to me he'd be my friend no matter what; he's...loyal and trustworthy._

Zelda opened her eyes and let out a deep breath, nodding to herself in self-encouragement. _I'll do it,_ she thought, but when Link turned his head and looked at her, all of her confidence left.

"Do you wanna head over to Korok Forest?" Link slid his hand into his jeans' pocket and brought out his phone, checking the time. "It's only five," he smiled and turned back to look at Zelda over his shoulder, "we have time."

Zelda watched as he placed his phone back in his pocket and turned around to look at her. She forced a smile out and nodded, disappointed she was not strong enough to get it out. "Yeah, let's go, Sir Link."

Link smiled and held out his hand, kneeling just slightly. He bowed his head down in a respectful manner. "Your majesty."

Zelda smiled genuinely at that time, a flutter in her heart. _He looks so…_ , Zelda walked forward and placed her hand in his gently, _regal._ She watched Link stand and gave him a slight curtsy. _And this just feels so…,_ she laughed and felt a chill run up her arm as Link shifted his fingers against her palm to intertwine them together, _right._

Link smiled and tugged her hand, ignoring his red cheeks. "Let's go, Princess."

Zelda walked a little ways behind Link as she felt her heart rate quicken at those words. She instinctively tightened her hold on Link's hand, making him do the same back. She saw him look over his shoulder and send a smile her way.

It looked nothing more than a mere smile when he looked back ahead of him as they walked through the field of grass, but to Zelda it sent a feeling of comfort and reassurance.

And a certain feeling in her chest again.

* * *

Lana sat on Zelda's desk chair, pushing against the comfortable office chair as she observed the words in the book she was reading.

It was pretty interesting, in Lana's opinion. Zelda had some good taste in novels.

But Lana sighed, finishing the chapter and closing the book. She stood up and strode over to the bookshelf Zelda had in her room; it was huge!

Thus, Lana had just gotten a random book, dependable at what spine looked more interesting.

Sure, she had her own shelf in her own room full of books but she and Zelda have a lot of different books on display—Zelda had more scientific and historical books with a few novels while Lana herself had novels with books about magic, real or not. It just interested her.

So in comparison, Zelda had more diversity to the variety of books she had on display.

Lana turned around and stood on the spot, glancing around the room. She'd already tidied up Zelda's room for her—she was bored and cleaning was pretty much all she did her whole life, but she was unsure of what to do at that moment.

Lana sighed to herself and went back to Zelda's desk, plopping back down on the chair.

She observed the content on Zelda's desk—books, pencils, paper, her laptop, etc. Lana was feeling curious as to what Zelda had so she started looking through her drawers. It was something she probably shouldn't have been doing but Zelda did it once when Lana had gone shopping a few months ago for her dad—what was the difference?

 _Payback, so time to see what it is Zelda has since she went through my own privacy_. Lana opened up one more drawer, the last one on the bottom, and saw a plain hardcover book.

She tilted her head and reached down to grab it, sitting back up while examining the book. "It's just blue," she observed quietly.

Lana hummed to herself as she opened the book, all noise going silent once she read the first word of her book.

 _Diary Entry #1_

Lana grimaced, unsure of what to do. Just those words were inviting enough for her to continue but...was it worth it?

Yeah, Zelda had gone through Lana's stuff that one day but it passed and she was positive nothing secretive was there.

…

Lana let her eyes jump down to the words engraved in pencil on the first line. Zelda started off with the day and the date and how she was feeling, but eventually Lana ended up skimming because there wasn't much spice to read about so that she could know a little secret of Zelda's.

But when she made it to the sixth page, she was interested.

Zelda was talking about her encounter with that Hylian named Link, and her description of his appearance and feelings overall about him.

Lana kept reading, for Zelda's diary had become more about that...Link, moreover instead of her own personal feelings.

She laughed two pages later when she read a certain part of Zelda's entry—she laughed from the shock of it.

 _I miss Link, if I'm going to be honest with myself. He makes me happy and he is a real charmer._

Lana decided she would stop there and closed the book. She moved the chair back to place the book back in its original place, making sure it looked untouched.

She leaned back on the chair, a smile growing on her face. Her blue hair fell over her face as she laughed lightly.

"Guess you're growing quite fond of him, Zelda," Lana said to herself quietly. "I hope he ends up being the man for you."

* * *

Link stopped in his tracks, hand gripping Zelda's firmly as he watched the smog go a certain direction.

It had been quiet for a little while, but Link felt uneasy in the woods when it was quiet.

"Ya know," he said, moving slightly in the smog's direction, "this would've been easier if we had lighters or some sort of fire on a stick."

He felt Zelda squeeze his hand in response, letting him know she was there. "Why is that?"

"The Resurrected Hero used to come around these woods with a torch; it guided him to the proper entrance of the Korok Forest." He smiled and stopped walking again, flashing a knowing grin behind his shoulder to Zelda. "As well as the direction to the sword that seals the darkness."

He laughed softly when he heard Zelda's gasp from behind, knowing she had grown excited.

"So," she was saying, "if we had any kind of fire with us showing us where to go...we'd be able to go to the direction of the Master Sword?"

Link nodded, stopping to watch the white particles in the air.

"But...is the sword even there anymore, is the question." Link felt Zelda walk closer to his backside, close enough to feel her heat. He could already imagine a look of interest all over her face.

He started walking again, the destination getting closer. "I don't know— _we_ don't know. No one's updated on that thing in over a few centuries. "

Zelda was heard letting out a grunt of acknowledgment.

It was silent by then, which made Link more focused on getting to the forest within the Lost Woods.

"Have you ever gotten lost before?"

Link's lips twitched into a smile—relieved that Zelda was speaking. "I don't think so," he answered.

"Hm."

The air around the two was getting thicker, and Link's vision was turning white so he stopped completely and backed away.

"Whoops, I _almost_ had us get lost right there." Link laughed and turned around, facing Zelda.

She had a small pout on her face as she looked into his eyes. "What would happen if we did get lost?"

A smirk came out of Link. "As we've talked about a while ago, we get turned into a skull kid." He tilted his head. " _And_ something else but...I dunno. Just rumors though." He laughed lightly and walked past Zelda, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze as he brushed past.

"Can't let anything happen to the Princess now, can I?" he joked.

He smiled with a laugh when he heard Zelda say, "Indeed so, Sir. Link. If I were to be hurt on your watch you'd be tried for treason."

Link didn't say anything afterward, but he made sure Zelda saw that he was grinning as he was near the entrance to his home away from home.

The crunching of the dead leaves on the ground as they walked were heard, but it was soothing in a way.

Zelda broke the silence again. "Are there ever any animals around here?"

Link saw his tree right as Zelda asked that question. He shook his head as the two neared the entrance of the large tree.

He stopped and turned to face Zelda, his hand comfortably in Zelda's own hand. "Not really," he said. "Sometimes, loose deer. That's about it."

Zelda laughed and moved her hair out of her face with her free hand. She hummed contently and looked around, nodding toward Link's tree in the end. "May we enter?"

After a nod of confirmation from Link, Zelda went in. Link, as well, since he was connected with her.

"Hey, lemme go find some wood to turn on some kinda light." Link noticed how dark the tree was so he reluctantly released Zelda's hand and went back outside, leaving Zelda alone to explore within the engraved tree.

The sounds of nature were soothing to his ears, and even though it was silent in the woods it was comforting enough to be in his tree. He had someone with him as well, so that was all the more reason to not be uncomfortable.

Link walked in silence, taking in the noise of his feet hitting the ground as he walked with the crunching leaves underneath. He turned his head around a corner of a tree and perked up when he saw a pile of thick wood sitting there. He walked to it and huddled them together, being careful as he bundled them in his arms.

As Link turned around and started walking back to Zelda, a smile went on his face. _This is great,_ he thought. _Hanging out with someone like this; it's been forever since I've done that. With Zelda, though—_ Link saw Zelda carving something on the outside of the tree with the knife he had in the tree, barely beside the entrance. He shook his head and his smile turned warm. _With her, it's okay to be myself, and it feels like I've known her for...ages!_

Having heard his movement, Zelda turned around and smiled sheepishly upon seeing his return.

Even though Link was aware, he still asked, "What're you doing?" when he made it closer.

Zelda fiddled with the knife's handle and nodded toward the carving she did. "Just...that. I-I'm sorry—I should've asked-"

"It's alright." Link smiled reassuringly and walked past her to look at the carving closely.

 _A...sword and shield?_ A frown came upon Link's face as he turned back around to face a pink Zelda. He tilted his head, which was enough for her to comprehend.

"Uh...well...since knights used to have swords and shields, I thought it'd be fitting to have this on there." Zelda shrugged, suddenly shy. "I dunno, just having known you're into swordplay and whatnot triggered it, I suppose."

Unexpectedly to Zelda, Link smiled and laughed a little bit. He glanced back at the carving before getting back to Zelda's focus. "I honestly forgot I had told you all of that."

Zelda laughed as well, smiling sheepishly. "Well...I suppose it's something that stuck out the most to me about you."

Link smiled and turned around to head into the tree, moving to the middle of the hangout to drop the planks of wood carefully to the ground in a pile. He realized Zelda followed him from behind when her presence was close and decided to ask a favor.

"Hey," he said, "can you get me the lighter and the torch that are over there in the corner?" Link's head motioned toward the corner of the room, which made Zelda do as he favored.

When she came back with the supplies in her hands, she held them out for Link to grab, which he did.

He crouched down and lit a ready fire on the tip of the torch, watching the fire engulf the wood and expand as he pulled the torch away from it.

Though she did not speak, Link sensed she wanted to say something by her shifting and quietness. He turned to Zelda after standing up straight and putting the fire out on the torch, setting it aside.

"What is it?" he asked.

Zelda seemed taken aback by his question, as the trance she was in was distracting her. "What?"

"What is it?" he repeated, firmer but emphasized.

Zelda seemed to frown as he read her like an open book, but Link was pouting when she asked, "Do you think...maybe just _one day_ we can go in search for the Master Sword together?" She scratched her head, gesturing to the torch. "I saw the torch and you said you need a lit torch or something to get through the lost woods in search of the sword."

It took Link a little bit of time to comprehend what was going on, but he said, "Well, one day we can.

Seeing Zelda's demeanor change completely was worth it for Link as he sat down by the fire, Zelda following along and moving to sit closer to his side.

"When?" she asked.

He answered with, "Well...maybe in a few weeks—or days, even. Depends when we are a lot more familiar with each other."

Zelda grunted in response, moving to sit down beside Link near the warm fire. "Well...what if we get to know each other a bit more while we're here?" She shrugged and looked around the room. "I mean, it's just us here, Link. It is pretty private if I do say so myself."

Zelda watched as Link bit his lip and fiddled with his thumbs. He turned his head to smile at her as he said, "Sure. But," he held up a finger, "before we do that and start getting into anything too deep—" both he and Zelda laughed a bit—"allow me to teach you a thing or two on swordsmanship."

"Oh, r-right now?" Zelda laughed nervously. "It...isn't a real sword I'm going to use, right?"

Link laughed silently. "No," he said. He pushed himself up to his feet and dusted off his clothes, reaching out for Zelda's hand afterward. "Don't worry, it'll be fine; maybe even fun."

After Zelda grabbed his hand and was pulled up, he held onto her hand and lead her to the entrance.

Zelda was stopped there as he smiled her way. "You can go ahead and wait outside, I'll grab the swords."

Zelda nodded with a smile Link had returned and walked outside, which was Link's cue to go to another corner of the tree and get the two wooden swords. He picked one up by the handle and examined it in his hands—finely carved, little to no leftover chips of wood that would leave any splinters, thankfully.

He'd had those swords for years and they were fine, fortunately.

After reminiscing, he grabbed the other sword and started walking over to wherever Zelda was waiting, which was not too far from the tree itself.

"Hey," he called out. Zelda turned upon hearing Link and smiled seeing him come up to her with the swords in his hands.

"Are those wooden?" Zelda walked forward to meet with Link along the way, eyeing the weapons in his hands.

He held one out to Zelda, which was her cue to grab it. "Indeed they are, your highness." Link smiled and straightened his posture, his legs ways apart in a stance. He lined the sword up to his nose, looking at Zelda with a smile. "You ready?"

He'd be lying if he said he didn't laugh as he saw Zelda slightly panic. "W-wait, I don't know what to do," she exclaimed, finding a firm hold on the sword.

"Just go with your instinct for now; it's what I did." He turned the sword around in his hand and walked closer to Zelda, which resulted in her backing away. "I'll help you out with what you need help with upon seeing what you can do."

Link spun once and swung the sword out of nowhere, making Zelda let out a yelp of surprise and dodge the object that was not even going to hit her.

Link couldn't help it—he was laughing. He held the point of the sword down to the ground, his hands placed over one another on the hilt. "Don't worry, Zelda. I'm not gonna hit you. What I want you to do is just hit the sword."

"Hit the sword?" she asked, fumbling with her position.

Link nodded, holding the sword up in between them with his left hand.

Zelda didn't do anything but stare at the sword, moving her eyesight from Link to the sword itself until she got the message. She raised her own sword with her right hand and lightly held the fuller against the fuller of Link's own sword, making an X with the two weapons.

"You're left-handed?" Zelda asked, trying to rid of her nerves.

Link merely smiled and tightened his grip on the handle and tapped his sword against Zelda's. He simply nodded and moved away, a lot quicker than Zelda would've expected.

He side jumped and twirled over to Zelda to pretend-slice her but she reacted on her own and placed her palm against the sword's tip with her other hand and let Link hit the edge of her sword.

Link grew a smile and jumped back from the push of Zelda's block. He rolled his shoulders and gestured to Zelda with the sword, a large grin plastered on his face by then. "See? You have something in you!"

Zelda laughed sheepishly, tucking a strand of hair behind her pointed ear. "Thank you, Link."

The grin Link had on his face was enough to make Zelda feel accomplished. He walked up closer to her and twirled the sword in his hand, careful to avoid hitting Zelda.

"Well, now since dodging or blocking isn't an issue, what would you like to learn?" suggested Link.

Zelda seemed to have thought hard, but after looking up from the ground she shrugged with a small smile and held the sword up. "Can you teach me how to dodge better? I, uh," she laughed, "just dodged in the spur of the moment."

A laugh bubbled out Link's chest as he nodded. "Alright, then." He walked up to Zelda's side and positioned himself, the sword held out in front across his body. "First," he said, "do this."

Zelda watched his formation and spread her legs apart just as he did, her feet lined up with her upper arms. She grimaced as she bit her lower lip. "I should've brought more comfortable jeans if I knew this was what we were gonna do." She laughed and nodded her head down as she looked at Link. "I'm wearing pretty tight ones."

Link chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "This is usually why I always wear looser sets of clothing when I go out; never know what I'm gonna do."

Zelda smiled and set her eyes as she fixed her formation, nodding for the next step.

Link nodded and looked forward, gesturing with his head as he said, "When the sword comes down or forward—or whichever direction it's coming—always move the opposite direction of that, obviously." He motioned Zelda over to stand in front of him. "You got the formation done, but I want you to try and pretend to attack me so that you get an example."

Zelda was a little scared. "What if I accidentally hit you…?"

A shake of the head from Link made her relax from the position. "It's okay," he said softly.

Zelda was reluctant to move in front of Link, but the look he gave her was enough to reassure her everything was going to be fine.

Who was she kidding? He'd been doing the stuff they were doing at that moment for almost _years_ , so he should be fine.

Link smiled slightly seeing Zelda settle herself in front of him, his stance not lessening one bit. He nodded to let her know he was ready.

The blonde took a deep, shaky breath, bringing the sword up to slice it down onto Link's shoulder with hesitation.

The edge hit his shoulder but it was so soft he almost didn't feel it. He shrugged it off and straightened his posture a little more. "C'mon, Zelda. Use everything you got, don't be scared."

Zelda bit her lower lip and took another deep breath, moving back a little more to give herself and Link some space to prepare.

After some time, she nodded to either herself or Link—neither of them knew which it was. She looked at Link and stared at him straight in the eyes, which left him to be slightly aware of the strong aura she was trying to put around herself.

With no warning, she moved forward and moved her wrist down right as her arm slashed across what would be Link's chest if he had not jumped back and shielded himself with the sword.

Zelda relaxed and let out a breath she was unaware of holding. She let out a laugh of relief and Link laughed along with her to ease her tension.

"See? Not so bad, and I'm okay too." Link checked himself by twisting and turning his head and body. "No scratches, no harm."

Zelda nodded, looking at the sword in her hand. Even though it was fake and wouldn't really kill Link, it still was scary knowing she could have hurt him with such a solid weapon.

"It wasn't bad," said Zelda.

"It wasn't bad," Link repeated with a smile. He walked up to her and motioned for her to do the stance. "Your turn."

She was reluctant, very. She trusted Link, she really did, but she was afraid he might accidentally hurt her like she would've to him.

"Zelda, I'm not gonna hit you." Link went up to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He smiled warmly and shook her in a friendly way. "I'll be careful, trust me." His voice was soft as he spoke.

"I-I do trust you, Link. I do, really. I'm just...y'know…" Zelda shrugged and looked at the ground beneath her.

Link bit his lip in thought and set his eyes on Zelda despite her focus being on the ground. Her hair was falling in front of her face as he watched her contemplate.

He wasn't going to, but his immediate response was to tuck her hair behind her ear, which he had done. Link practically felt Zelda's blush as his hand lingered on her face when she looked up, her lips parted in surprise. He was blushing too, as a matter of fact.

He parted his own lips and no words came out, except he hesitantly removed his hand from her face. He pursed his lips and placed the tip of the sword against the ground, his hands over the hilt once again. That was a stance he had always grown accustomed to.

"S-sorry…," he finally said, looking off to the side—anywhere but Zelda's general direction. "I just...i-it was just an instinct, sorry."

Zelda was quiet, which made him worry he messed up, but he turned his eyes to her again when she murmured, "It...it's okay." She blushed a little more and scratched her head, the sword being fiddled with in her hands. She was hesitant, Link noticed, but she asked, "Um...did you ever...like...have a little sister before? Girlfriend, perhaps? Because...usually, that isn't a reaction someone would have to this unless it used to be a habit."

Link held his breath at her questions, but he answered, nonetheless. "I'll save the answers to your questions for later when we're seated and...well, not sweaty—" The two laughed and the tense atmosphere around them in the forest was dispersing.

Zelda smiled again, looking into Link's eyes. "So...my turn?"

* * *

At that moment, it was an understatement to say Zelda looked absolutely _stunning_. She was way more than that.

Despite having been hit on the head on a tree trunk, and with Zelda looking worried for his life, she looked absolutely charming.

Her voice asking if he was okay was muffled within his head as he stared dumbly into her eyes as if he was in a trance.

Suddenly, she was no longer a teenage girl—in front of him was a Princess and several other Princesses who looked similar in a way.

All their faces were distant and all merged in one, but he no longer felt like he was in his own world. Instead, he was leaning in, paying no mind to what was going on around him as the lips of the gorgeous Princess in front of him were, oh so, inviting.

He snapped back awake, everything vanishing in one slap as the present Zelda was heaving with a red face.

"W-wait—" Link sat up straight against the tree he was leaned against and looked around at his surroundings. His eyes jumped back to Zelda's, who seemed flushed in every way.

"W-what happened?" he asked. He looked like a spotted doe—confused, but yet scared with widened eyes.

"You...well…," Zelda laned back on her knees and sat on her calves, "y-you almost kissed me, for one."

Link brightened red, heat going to his face as he pushed himself up against the tree. "W- really?!"

Zelda nodded, still blushing. "Yes. I don't know if you remember what happened before you tried, though."

Link tried thinking back to what happened after the two took a break from swordplay, but to no avail.

He shook his head, looking into Zelda's eyes.

Zelda sighed, her breathing calm and collected by then. Her color was settling back. "Clumsy you ended up tripping on a branch and hit your head against a tree trunk. You hit it...pretty hard."

"...how hard?" Link asked, listening intently.

"Pretty hard to the point of you having a bump on your head. I was really worried when you got dizzy so I set you down and had you drink some water that you had in the fridge in your tree." Zelda frowned and sat down on her bottom. "I hope you don't mind I looked through there."

Link shook his head. "Don't worry, it's okay."

"Um, but...you didn't listen to me either." Zelda twiddled with her thumbs and looked at Link, worry in her eyes. "I kept asking if you were okay, even had to shake you but you didn't respond… You just...leaned in and…" Zelda's voice trailed off as she wasn't able to finish her statement, red going back to her cheeks.

Dumbly, Link nodded. He was slowly comprehending everything Zelda was saying to him. His head was throbbing, but it wasn't exactly from the pain. It was something else.

 _What...what in the name of Din did I see when I was looking at Zelda?_ Link tried to look away from said Zelda, but his eyes were glued to hers.

 _That felt so...weird… It felt real! Like-like as if I...was there…with the Princesses of Hyrule many years back._ The male teen licked his dry lips and looked away from Zelda with force. He wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm...sorry for slapping you, by the way."

Link turned his attention back to Zelda. "It's fine, really," he said. A small, quiet laugh came out of him. "It made sense on why you did it, so...it's okay."

Despite feeling bad about having had slapped him, Zelda still felt a small smile make way to her face. Her expression was warm. "So...how about we go back inside the tree and take a break, yeah?"

Link nodded, hand going to his head after feeling the pain that came from the side. He grit his teeth and tried to push himself up, the other softly rubbing his temple.

"Hey- wait, let me help." Zelda stood up and bent down to grab Link by his elbow, supporting his back as he stood up. His feet were having a hard time planting to the ground so he released his hand and used them both to wrap his arm around her shoulders.

"Just… I'm gonna wrap my arm around your waist, okay?" called out Zelda. Her arm went around his waist to help him straighten before having heard an answer.

Link nodded either way, trying to hide the pain he was in, but the world was woozy around him.

Zelda guided him over to the tree's entrance which was luckily only a few steps away. They entered and she set moved to seat him on the couch, but Link shook his head and kept himself firm on the ground.

"I wanna sit near the fire," he said.

Zelda watched him closely, looking for any pain written on his face but he kept his face as straight as possible. He was obviously dizzy, anyway. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Link let out a long, unexpected breath and had Zelda guide him over to the crackling fire. She kneeled down as Link moved down to sit on his bottom, but right as he sat down he fell on his back.

Zelda started to panic again. "Link, are you okay? You didn't hit your head again did you?"

Link laughed slightly, closing his eyes as he laid comfortably on the ground. He turned his head to Zelda and gave her a positive grin. "I'm fine," he said. He gave the space to the side of him a pat. "You should lay too, the floor may look dirty but it really isn't."

Zelda stared at him in disbelief, but a smile was on her face. "But...you're actually fine, right? You're not anywhere near passing out or anything?"

It took Link a little force to shake his head. "It's comfy. Come, come." He pat the space again.

Zelda laughed incredulously and shook her head, walking over to Link and sitting down before laying down beside him.

They both stared at the tree's ceiling, silence radiating.

Link closed his eyes for a brief second, letting the dizziness depart the best it could. He opened them when he felt ready and was glad to see he was all better. But, he needed to make sure he really was.

He turned his head over to look at Zelda, glad to see she was herself and not a Princess of ages long past.

 _Why did they come into my mind anyway? And why did it seem so real? As if...I was actually with them._ Link sighed quietly and kept his eyes on Zelda, who was softly humming to herself as she closed her eyes

Even though Link was not aware of what he was thinking back at the trunk exactly, now he was—it was the same thoughts. The girl's yellow hair splattered around her head, framing her like a halo. She really was a beauty far beyond words.

And Link was afraid to admit he may have started to feel something for her, something he didn't want to feel. Something he had denied multiple times before ever since he had gotten over Mipha.

Maybe...maybe he was actually starting to fall for her.

Link's mind jumped away from those thoughts right when Zelda turned her head to face him, a smile growing on her face as she saw him awake and aware.

"How do you feel?" She rested her arms on her stomach, seeming comfortable.

Either Zelda didn't notice or she just didn't say anything about the blush on Link's face. "I feel better," he said. "Thank you."

A relieved smile broke out of Zelda. "No problem, I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah…" Link let out a breath and looked back to the ceiling as he moved his arms to use his hands as a cushion behind his head.

It was silent again as Link and Zelda let the sounds of nature overlap their breathing.

Zelda was the first to break the silence. "So...while we're here and relaxed, what if we get to know each other a little bit better?"

Link grunted in response, getting cozy. "Alright then. I guess I can start with my family life; simple, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Let's just start off easy." Once Zelda seemed ready to listen, Link glanced at her before telling her his story.

"'Kay…so, I was born here. In Hyrule. Obviously." The two laughed and Link continued. "Uh...well, I've been living with my aunt for pretty much my whole life."

"Your whole life?" Zelda turned her head to look at him, but his eyes were focused on the wood atop.

He nodded. His next words were not so easy to let out. "I...I-I'm an orphan."

Link could just _see_ the look of surprise Zelda had in the corner of his eye.

"You're an orphan?!" she harshly whispered. She was in shock, to say the least, because it was something she wasn't expecting.

Link nodded and turned his head to her, a smile on his face. "Don't fret though, it's alright. Even though I don't really have parents, Impa is basically my whole life and the person who made me the boy I am today."

Zelda was at loss for words so she just kept her mouth shut and nodded, waiting for more.

"And…," he continued, "Impa is actually one of the last of the Sheikah, believe it or not."

"W-wait. The _Sheikah_?" Zelda rose an eyebrow. "You mean...the Sheikah Tribe?!"

Link laughed as she gasped. "Mm-hm."

"Wow! I really thought they'd gone extinct and no longer populated," exclaimed Zelda.

"Yeah well, Aunt Impa's one of the last Sheikah's around." Link smiled and focused back on the ceiling. "I honestly don't remember my parents, nor what happened to them. When I was five-years-old, that was when I had found out I was adopted by Impa."

"Oh… I'm so sorry, Link." Zelda moved her hand and placed it comfortingly on Link's forearm, giving him a rub of comfort before removing it.

"It's okay, really it is. It's also kind of why I'm so into history, for my aunt being a Sheikah I've always been interested ever since finding out the Sheikah once served the kingdom of Hyrule back then. Someone even served the Princess in some generations but we're not too aware on _who_ it was." Link shrugged, finishing his conversation. "Dunno, but that's all I have family-wise, though." He looked into Zelda's eyes. "What's your family like?"

"Uhm…" Zelda was hesitant, but she knew if Link did it so could she. "I...well… It's not that interesting, but...I live with my dad, uh...my mom died when I was a lot more younger because of some type of disease I'm unaware of to this day."

"Oh," called Link, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," reassured Zelda. "I'm not fazed because when she passed I was unaware of what was going on around me."

"So...you just live with your dad? No brothers, no sisters?" asked Link.

Zelda nodded and reached up to play with a strand of her hair. "But...I do have these two really close friends. Their names are Lana and Urbosa. They're basically like family to me. Even though Urbosa is just an internet friend."

Link grunted and turned onto his side, using his arm as a pillow as he watched Zelda. "What about real friends?"

"Lana." Zelda looked at Link before turning to her side as well, gazing into his eyes. "She goes to my school, but she's been with me ever since I was a child so I see her more as family. Like a sister I've never had."

Link was quiet after she finished talking, but he grunted to let her know he listened. He was taking it all in before he let out his own words.

"I had a friend once—one of the many ones I have. But he was...a really special friend to me." Link saw a smile quirk at the corner of Zelda's lips and that made him grow a small one.

He kept talking. "His name was Talo. He and I had been friends ever since I was just a kid and we grew up together. He was actually the one I found this tree with, and the love for swordplay started with him." He laughed as he remembered the memories he had with Talo. Honestly, nothing were bad. Besides for when their friendship broke.

"But...uh...he left for high school. He never told me where. He just left and I suppose that was the end of our friendship."

Once the frown on Zelda's face appeared, Link knew what she was going to say. "Trust me, Zelda, it's okay." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Zelda sighed a little in frustration. "I guess…" She looked away from Link, but Link kept his eyes on hers. He was observing her facial features, taking it all in.

It took a while for either of them to say anything, but it was then Link said, "But...I find you to be a really close friend to me now; a special one."

He saw the blush creep onto Zelda's face as she smiled and said, "Honestly, me too."

Link adjusted his position, a confused smile on his face as he laid more comfortably on his side. "Hey, I just had a weird sense of...deja vu.

Zelda nodded quick, her eyes brightening. "Me too!"

Link blew air out from his cheeks, furrowing his brow. "That's so weird…"

Zelda shrugged and laid once again on her back, closing her eyes. "Well, it's probably just our head doing some weird things."

Link watched her every move, his confusion not dimming. "I mean...maybe, but...isn't it weird?"

"How so?"

"Well," Link was saying, "this feeling usually always happens whenever we're together like this—sharing a moment."

Zelda's eyes opened by then, taking everything Link had just said in. "You're…not wrong, that's for sure."

"I-I don't know." Link turned back to face the ceiling, suddenly shy to look at Zelda. "I'm probably just thinking too hard into this."

 _But what happened back at the trunk, was that deja vu…? It can't be._ Link sighed and draped an arm over his eyes, the crook of his elbow giving darkness to his closed eyes.

"No, I believe you in this. It is pretty odd," Zelda said softly.

A grunt was given to her in response, drowsiness overtaking the both of them the longer they had their eyes closed.

So, before they knew it and another said a word, they had fallen asleep on the ground side-by-side near the fire in the tree in Korok Forest.

 **Yikes, this was so long but I hope it covers up to the amount of time I took to update lmao. 10k words aside from this a/n oof. So Link is seeing some things, for one. And probably also falling for Zel :) Zelda is also falling for Link without a doubt, but she just doesn't know it :'). Anyway, I hope those who made it this far in the story are enjoying it. Till next time :)**


	10. 9 - Trouble

With a gasp of breath, Zelda awoke with the feeling of solid warmth on her back. It enveloped her whole body as she raised her head from the arm that cushioned her head. She looked around the room, wondering where she was until she became fully aware she was inside the tree she was in recently.

Zelda tried to sit up but she felt a solid object holding her down, and once she looked down she noticed it was an arm—Link's arm. She blushed red and laid back down, scared she'd wake him. Her eyes were wide as she realized the arm that cushioned her was, indeed, Link's upper arm.

The events of the day before were flooding through her mind, all leading to the moment before the two had fallen asleep.

Eventually, her mind moved over to her dream from the short nap she took.

It was her, the Princess, and Link—the Hero, not the Link she knew at that moment. It was weird to her, especially because they were all the Hero from ages long past, and she was slightly awed by how real it had seemed. Even though it was the many generations of the Hero, the one she remembered the most was the Hero of Skies and the Resurrected Hero—first and last, she supposed, was why they were the most memorable.

She knew of the writings about the land in the sky, but she was vaguely aware of everything in it and of the people. Only the Hero was clear to her, and the two were the best of friends—right? She wasn't sure, but they looked pretty close considering she remembered having flown with him on something that was akin to a Rito with laughter and jokes being thrown around.

Zelda closed her eyes, unconsciously getting closer to Link's body and feeling him tighten his arm around her for warmth. Loftwings? She thought that was what they were called. But, she couldn't remember.

The Resurrected Hero, though, was another story—which made sense. She and the Hero of that era were...very close, to say the least. It was very odd, considering the fact her Link looked so alike to the Hero.

Maybe the dreams she had were nothing big, probably just her own fantasy being made up through dreams. It was never told of the Hero and the Princess having courted or dated before, nor were there any paintings… Aside from one, but it's just a rumor that had been spread by historians and they were not sure if it was real.

Zelda started feeling drowsy, but she suddenly remembered she had already fallen asleep before. In the tree. _Away from her house_ with the time having passed by. She sat up, pushing past Link's arm as she shook him awake, but the push was enough to wake him in a fright.

"Huh, what?" Link rubbed his eyes, his hair disheveled. He blinked several times, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he leaned on his elbow. "What happened?"

Zelda pushed back the thought she had of Link looking nothing but adorable at that moment, and she instead quickly said, "We slept."

Link squinted her way, laughing drunkenly as he saw her appearance. "Your hair's a mess, that's cute."

Zelda blushed, already known Link was drunk off tiredness. "U-uh, thank you?"

Link smiled and stretched out on the ground, closing his eyes again as he let out a grunted-yawn. "We slept?" he drawled.

Zelda nodded, trying to flatten her hair as she started to stand up. "Yes, _we slept._ "

Her repetition was enough for Link's breath to hitch as he sat up in a flash. He looked alerting to Zelda. "We slept!"

Zelda nodded, rushing to pick Link up to his feet. "Yes, we slept, and for Goddesses know how long!" She gestured toward his pocket. "What time is it?"

Link scrambled to get his phone out of his pocket, turning on his phone before looking up to Zelda with wide eyes. He didn't say anything, but he looked over to the fire that they were feet away from at that moment and hastily went over to put it out. He let the smoke hover around as he waved around the area and made sure nothing was going to be left behind before grabbing hold of a Zelda's arm and dragging her out of the tree.

Zelda was still awaiting his answer, but his haste was enough to give her a hunch.

The forest was dark, darker than usual. But, fortunately for them, the Lost Woods was always a little dimly lit no matter the time of day.

Link's hand went from the crook of her elbow to her hand, grasping it with no look toward her for he was finding his way out. "It's 9:30," he said.

Just those words were enough to make her heart drop. "You're kidding!"

Link didn't say anything to her response, quickly moving through the smog.

Zelda watched as he moved, a million thoughts going through her head. Was Lana still keeping watch? What about her father? Usually at ten or eleven he came and went to bid her a good night, and she wasn't ready to risk being home at ten.

Link knew—he knew that Zelda had a strict father, and if she was home any later than 9:00, as they've discussed in a conversation before they hung out again, then she'd be in big trouble.

That wasn't entirely true, though. In reality, unbeknownst to Link, on weekends she was free until 11:00 at night, but she didn't want to risk being caught, especially because she's had Lana go in on her plan, and if her father found out then she didn't want Lana getting in any trouble. And, her father was unaware and didn't allow her to go out at any time that week, which was a big problem.

She knew her father cared, but sometimes, which was at that moment, she thought maybe he was a little too overprotective. She still didn't understand, no matter how many times he had told her the same response— _"You need to be protected… I don't want anything bad happening to you."_

Zelda was suddenly frustrated as Link was almost out of the maze of the woods. It made no sense, whatsoever. It was always the same reason, but it always never made sense to her. She was hidden enough already, what else more did her father need to let him know she'd be safe?

 _Maybe a phone would be nice_ , she thought bitterly. _I could tell him every hour, or maybe even every thirty minutes, that I'm okay! I already have a hidden way to get out of the house instead of using the front gate like the maids and servants, I'm well enough safe!_

Zelda was planning to rant more in her head, but Link's soft voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?"

Zelda broke out of her head, looking around to see they were already heading toward the direction of Lake Hylia. But Link ended up stopping.

Link brought their hands up in between them up to her eyesight and nodded towards them. "You were gripping pretty hard back there."

Zelda blushed slightly, loosening the grip she still had. "S-sorry… I was just thinking about some things."

"Is it...a little personal?" When Link tilted his head in concern, Zelda felt nothing but a warmth expand throughout her chest.

She answered. "Uh, well...not really. Kind of. I don't know." She sighed and slouched with a pout. "I just hate how I have to get home so early."

Link pouted himself, bringing up Zelda's hand and tenderly stroking the back of her hand with his thumb to calm her down. It did nothing but send chills down her spine.

"Maybe," he said, "he just really cares about your safety?"

Zelda grumbled in her head and thought about even if she made it home by the time he set as a curfew he'd _still_ get fussy. But, she didn't say anything about that. "Probably."

Link nodded and gave her hand a soft squeeze before walking over to their destination.

Despite being in a hurry, Zelda didn't actually mind taking a little bit of time to get there. She was just content and at ease being with Link.

"My aunt—" Link turned his head to look at Zelda and watched as she turned her head to him after hearing him speak out—"she doesn't mind how long I'm out...just...as long as I get home before midnight and tell her I'm fine every hour after eight hits."

Zelda nodded slowly as she let his words process through her head. "I wish I can relate."

A grunt from Link was the only response she had gotten before he started to lightly jog over to central park, which was shortly in the distance.

Within a few short moments, they made it over to where they had first met that evening. Link stopped jogging and let the two take a while to steady their breathing.

Link wiped off the slight sweat from his brow and suggested, "Hey, what if I take you home?"

Zelda's eyes subtly widened, unsure of how to respond without giving anything away. "Uh," she stuttered, "well...as much as I'd love that, I think if my father caught me with a boy he would flip."

She watched as Link looked down at the ground, biting his lip. He kicked the ground slightly. "Right."

Zelda, for some odd reason, felt bad for having to put him down. She suddenly then remembered she was at a loss for time. She gasped and started walking to the direction of her house, past Link.

But she stopped, turning around to face Link, who had turned to look at her almost leave without a goodbye.

"So...I guess this is goodbye?" Link shrugged, his own words not confident enough. If he was gonna be honest with himself, he didn't want to let go of Zelda.

Zelda sighed and nodded solemnly. "I suppose so." She was reluctant when she looked up into Link's bright eyes, but she did what her initial reaction was and moved to step forward—it did her nothing though, because she just stopped moving altogether and had her words die in her mouth.

A hug, it was what she wanted to give him, but she was afraid she'd be pushing over any boundaries they may have had. Instead, she smiled as genuinely as she could and outstretched her hand.

Link was slightly confused for a split second, but he reacted quick enough to be able to grasp her hand with his own.

"Thank you," she said. She squeezed his hand and dragged her hand away from his, letting her hand draw away back to her side. "I should go now. Farewell, Sir Link." Playfully, she curtsied and laughed as Link smiled and gave a small bow.

"Farewell, Princess." He straightened and watched as she gave him one more smile before turning and lightly jogging away to her home.

Link watched as she moved, his eyes steady o her. He inhaled a deep breath before exhaling out a sigh, wishing the day could've gone on a bit more longer.

 _Sucks we ended up sleeping,_ he thought to himself. Link turned around himself to head home, but his mind opened and a gasp left his mouth. He quickly turned around and ran over to where Zelda was heading.

"Zelda!" he called out. He saw as she stopped and turned around, watching him jog over to her.

Link stopped in front of her, chest heaving from all the activity they'd done. He reached into his hoodie pocket, pulling out a rectangular box. He smiled as he waved it in front of her following eyes.

Zelda was confused, her mind jumping all over the place. "Wait—"

Link grabbed her hand and placed the box in her palm, enclosing her hand in it before backing away.

"Get home safely, Zelda." Link's voice was soft, but Zelda heard him even as he turned away to get back home.

Zelda was in shock, staring at the box. _Wait._ She turned it over in her hands, observing it. It was just plain black, pretty much no design. She opened the box, curiosity getting the best of her. Her eyes widened when she saw what was in the box itself.

"What the-" Zelda quickly looked up, hoping to see Link near but he was already in the distance as he hustled away.

Despite feeling slightly aggravated, she laughed to herself with a big, disbelieving grin on her face. She put the lid back over the box and shook her head, her heart swelling up.

"Of course you'd get me something." Zelda turned back around, starting her walk back home. A big smile was on her face as she couldn't stop all the feelings overwhelm her over the gift Link had given her.

"A phone, of all the things…," she said to herself. But, that was when Zelda remembered she forgot to give Link his own gift.

She groaned frustratingly, starting a run over to her house. One, to confront Link; two, to avoid getting in trouble.

* * *

Once the coast seemed clear, Zelda climbed over her window sill and stepped on the ground. She closed the window and closed the curtain, adrenaline running throughout her body.

 _Wow, that was tiring._ Zelda puffed out a breath and pushed back her hair, walking around her room to find a loose hair tie. No avail, though.

Frowning, she walked over to her desk, pulling the phone's box out of her waistband. She didn't particularly have any pockets at the time, so she improvised. She set it on her desk beside her laptop and sat down on her chair, leaning back and groaning tiredly.

"What a day…," she mumbled. She closed her eyes, letting her head rest against the back of her chair, reclining back.

She opened her eyes again and straightened her posture, rolling her chair in to get closer to her laptop. She unlocked her screen after typing in her password and moved her cursor over to the opened Skype.

Once she clicked on Link's profile, she was going to start typing away but she saw he had sent a message already.

 _Link: "to answer your questions back at the forest, I did have a girlfriend before. no little sister :) remembeeerrr im an orphan aaannndd an only child ;). But, the girlfriend thing wasn't anything big. i have only dated like three girls throughout my life but most of the time they cheat on me lol but the hair thing ive just always had the habit of doing that, probably because i have long hair myself. I should probably cut it."_

Zelda's eyes widened toward the end of his message—confusion seeped through her veins. She typed away quickly.

 _Zelda: "Wait cheated on? why whatd you do that make that happen? I'm sorry if it's a little personal, you don't have to answer but it's worth a shot"_

Link responded back quicker than expected. His message said, _"well i suspect it's because i never really actually like fell for them i think. i never showed affection either lol. it's just when i dated them i still had something for mipha or never liked them and i think it prevented me from giving the girls their all. it was my fault, but to be honest they only liked me for my luscious hair and beautiful face ;)"_

Out of nowhere, Zelda blushed when Link said that last part of his message. She was going to say something back but he already started typing.

 _Link: "but...i didnt actually ask them out anyway they did lol i didnt even know who they were and they were the typa people who never let me give them an answer haha i felt bad having to break up with them though so i just let nature take its course :) I usually deny the people who actually let me answer cause i never rlly felt much for them in that way"_

Zelda already finished typing her own message a few seconds after, which said, _"omg Link I'm actually feeling really sorry to hear that. I don't think you deserve to be cheated on, but honestly i'm glad they're gone because they don't deserve you :( You deserve someone a lot better, someone who will treat you right and someone you can be yourself with without being scared of their response. I know you're getting over mipha but hey if you find someone else youre crushing on in the future let me know and i'll make sure they're the one :')"_

Unknown to Zelda, on Link's side of the screen he was visible with a large, warm grin on his face. He responded back a few moments later.

 _Link: "wowowow :''') your words flatter me, princess. Thank you though, Zelda it really means a lot. Coming from you, especially."_

Zelda smiled, feeling the warmth in her chest come and go again. She had then remembered that whenever she had seen Lana again she'd be sure to ask her about what it was she was feeling.

As her hands hovered over her keyboard to respond, a better thought came into her mind. _Or...I can just look up what it is I'm feeling._ _Better plan._

 _Zelda: "No problemo, Sir Link :) But, bacckk to YOUR hair. I think your hair is fine the way it is lol. But if it bothers you about it being too long, you can either trim it or just cut it off completely haha either way though I don't mind how you look. youre handsome just as is"_

The next thing Link sent was what made Zelda blow up red. _"wow ;) I wasnt aware you felt that way about how I look"_

She panicked and typed furiously. _"sdkkds sorry it just came out i didnt mean to say that"_

She had hit send, but she realized the way she said it made it sound like she didn't think the way she did about his looks. _"Wait,"_ she typed again, _"no i meant it but sjfngk"_

Zelda just stopped moving her hands completely after she sent that last message, holding her temples in both hands as she contemplated about all she had just written. She was a mess, everything she was saying was a mess. She was massively red.

She heard the little "ding" from her laptop, meaning Link had sent a message. She was, honestly, afraid of looking at what he said. She was making a fool of herself by then.

But, nonetheless, she looked up and read over his message.

 _Link: "im literally dying lmao this is funny sorry lol. but it's okay haha i really dont mind, if anything I honestly feel honored to look at least handsome to you :')"_

Zelda furrowed her brow, confused at that moment. _What does he mean_? She wasn't sure how to respond, but thankfully Link had responded right after.

 _Link: "anyway i'm gonna go and shower and slip into nice comfy clothes :') i want to be clean after all the sweating haha"_

Zelda chuckled through her nose and smiled warmly, the remembrance of earlier in her head. _"alrighty then :) I shall do the same. i'll talk to you later tonight Link :D"_ she sent.

 _Link: "farewell for the moment, your highness :}"_

Zelda laughed as she read his message, a content smile over her face. She minimized Skype and put her laptop to sleep, closing her eyes right after and leaning back on her chair.

To her, the day had been one of the best she'd had in a while ever since she'd met Link. And, if anything, her meeting Link had been one of the best things in her life.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door that ended up frightening her out of her chair. That was when Zelda remembered she was supposed to be "sick". She coughed and tried to sound as hoarse as possible. "U-uh, yes?"

"Zelda."

At the sound of her father's voice, Zelda's heart dropped in fear. Especially because the tone of voice he used was one she knew too well—he was angry.

She, at first, decided to not answer, but he knocked once more. It was enough to have her break her "sick" character. "What is it, Father?"

"Meet me in my office, please." It was all he said before she heard his taunting footsteps walk down the hall.

 _Oh, goddesses,_ please _be on my side tonight._

* * *

"Where were you?"

Zelda pursed her lips as she gently closed her father's door, already rolling her eyes in her mind. _Cutting to the chase, I see,_ she thought. She coughed into a fist and stood in front of his desk.

Even though that was her father and she was his daughter, Zelda didn't feel like she was his relative in their position.

"My room," she uttered. She was positive her lie was useless by that point; obviously her father found something out.

Rhoam squinted his eyes and leaned closer to rest his elbows on his desk. It was eerily silent, and the creaking of his chair didn't make it any better. "You're lying to me, Zelda."

Zelda let out breath she was unaware of holding and looked off to the side, slouching slightly as her hands were held behind her back. The moment they were having was one that had been something she was used to, but it always left her anxious. "Sorry," she said, her act falling apart. "I was...well…out."

"Why were you out, Zelda? I didn't give you permission to leave," Rhoam called out.

Zelda looked down and bit her lip, closing her eyes to control her temper. She fumbled with her hands against her back and took a deep breath. She spoke steadily. "Yes, I know that."

Rhoam sighed and rubbed his temple. "Zelda, look. I know you like to go out. It's why I even let you out on the first place—"

"But, Father, you make it sound like I'm some sort of encaged animal!" Zelda lost her cool, her temper rising as she looked up to her guardian.

"But, you're not, Zel." Rhoam tried to stay calm himself. "Trust me, I just-"

"Want what's best for me so that I don't get hurt?" Zelda finished. She saw the look her father had on his face before he nodded silently.

That made Zelda groan and shift on her feet. "Father, I ask this _way_ too many times when I shouldn't even have to—what's out there that's so bad?! I've gone out enough times to experience it and no one has hurt me, nor has anything remotely bad happened."

Rhoam didn't say anything except blink after hearing her words, no words leaving his mouth. He was hesitant, Zelda noted. It confused her.

He spoke out eventually. "Just— just trust me. Please?"

"No." Zelda stood her ground. "No, because pretty much everyone I've met in Hyrule are so nice; I've even made a friend!"

Zelda knew she was in the wrong for saying that when her father raised an eyebrow. "Friend?"

"Uh." Zelda licked her lips and swallowed a nervous lump in her throat, bringing her hands in front of her to hold them together to ease her nerves. Reluctantly, she nodded once.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter."

Rhoam sighed loudly and held his head in his hands, already tired. "Yes, it does." He straightened up and brought his chair closer to the desk, seeming more formal and collected. He put on a polite facade. "Can I at least know their race?"

Zelda was still hesitant, but she didn't want to anger her father anymore and just the race wouldn't hurt to say. "He's a Hylian."

At her response, Rhoam's brow shot up. "Oh, they're a male?"

A nod came from his daughter.

Alas, Rhoam did anything almost any father would do, and it made Zelda groan with a small tint of red on her face. "Are you two dating? Is...that why you're sneaking out?"

She pushed back her nerves. "No, Father. He's just someone I met that one day that I told you I had met a Hylian and encountered another—the day with the Goron. Uh, last week."

"But...you don't have any technology. How'd you two keep in touch?"

Overall, Zelda was glad he was curious moreover than angry. It kept her at ease to answer his questions...even though she was slightly irritated he wanted every single detail. "I used email."

That sparked a light bulb in her father's head. "Oh. Of course you'd find a way, darling."

"Well, you gave me a laptop, Father," pointed out Zelda. Rhoam didn't respond to that, instead he was silent. Then, he asked a question she had been expecting for the longest time ever since she stepped into the room.

"What...what's his name?"

Slightly peeved, she asked as calmly as possible, "Why do you always want to know the names of everyone I meet?"

"Zelda, it's not that difficult just to say one name. I don't know why you're getting mad-"

"Because you always ask! The last time I told you that I made a friend online, you got mad at me! And I told you their name, I was really proud to even have _one_ friend!"

"But, isn't Lana-"

"I think of her as a sister I've never had," Zelda said softly. The look her father had on his face was enough to give her an idea of his thought process of that moment. He didn't say anything, as suspected, and nodded as he pursed his lips and looked away. "I see."

Zelda hoped the topic would change, but she was greatly wrong when Rhoam repeated his question. "But...what's his name?"

The blonde teen sighed, shaking her head. Her voice was leveled, her words softly spoken. "No. Not until you actually let me have friends without you judging them so quickly just by hearing what in the name of Din their name is." With those words, Zelda turned on her feet to walk out of the room.

"Zelda."

Said Zelda heard her father get out of his chair, his walk over to her sounding throughout the room even as she opened the door and hastily walked out.

She slammed the door closed in front of her father's face and started to even jog the way to her room in order to quickly get away from her father.

He was right on her tail. "Zelda, stop and turn to me!"

She didn't listen to him, instead she sped up her walk and started hustling over to her room.

Honestly, just her father trying to catch her before she made it to her room scared her because it seemed like a scene out of a horror movie—her beloved father was nothing of the sort to horrifying though, lest he was insanely angry.

When she turned the corner, she made it to her hallway and started running to her door. She wanted to desperately avoid talking to her father that night.

Rhoam's footsteps were heard right behind her as she opened her door and quickly slammed it closed, the lock being heard.

Her father's breathing was heard through the door's solid build, for he was out of breath. He was an old man, running wasn't cut out for him at the age he was.

The man of the house tried reasoning with her to open the door, even kept banging on it and shaking pretty much the whole room, but when Zelda said a single, "Goodnight!" and invited the sound of music enter her ears; it was over before she even knew it.

* * *

After the episode with Zelda and her father, Zelda was sitting on her desk with her laptop open, chatting with Link.

She dearly wanted to go and find Lana, especially after her not being anywhere near the outside of her room or roaming around; she was worried. But, Zelda was afraid of going out. Tomorrow she'd check for Lana, she told herself.

 _Link:_ _"oh ya forgot to ask lol did you make it back home safe and sound? no dad to lecture you?"_

Zelda felt her heart drop slightly at the remembrance of what happened when she got home, but her fingers typed what came first. _"I got home safely lol but my dad kinda got mad but it was okay he just said to not be out so late again because he "cares for my safety in the dark""_

 _Sir Link the Knight was typing…_

 _Link: "weeelll maybe at least he cares tho lol. my aunt was just happy i got home safe, which means she cares as well. She also asked how it was and what we did and i avoided telling her about the part where we fell asleep haha I feel like she'd start teasing ;("_

Zelda laughed, her mood spiking up. She was glad she didn't say anything more to her father and left as quickly as possible, because he would've taken away her laptop. She didn't want that, she didn't know how to work the phone yet and Link was probably one of her only sources of happiness.

She typed in her response. _"Haha, honestly that's best because you were kinda holding me back there as we slept"_

It had taken Link a few minutes to actually respond.

 _Link: "jufaoudfh waiitititit i had actually held you ? aihg i thought i was dreaming im so sorry idk how you felt im sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable"_

Zelda was slightly laughing as she read over his message, Link sending another right after.

 _Link: "i mean you were really warm. I remember waking up in the middle of the nap to bring you closer but i really thought it was a dream ohh my goddesdfga im so sorry zelda i didnt mean to make you feel uncomfortable if that was the case"_

Zelda could see by then why Link found it funny when she freaked out; Link freaking out over nothing big was slightly amusing to her. She typed out _, "haha really Link, need not to worry. I know it was cold and you wanted warmth, and if anything I actually went closer to you for said warmth haha. No need to worry, you were just as warm as I was to you."_ before she hit send.

 _Link: "so you were fine with it?"_

 _Zelda: "Indeed."_

 _Link: "oh thank the goddesses haha i'm so relieved."_

Zelda was smiling, the warmth in her chest having came back once again. She really needed to search that up, and it was already getting late so first she would bid farewell to Link.

" _Link I believe I should be going to sleep right now, today was really full lol"_ she sent. She waited for his response, which was, _"honestly me too ;') today was really fun, one of the best times I've had in a little while like that."_

Zelda: "I can agree :) Anyways link, i shall bid you a goodnight :) Have a nice rest, Sir Link. Also, you didn't have to get me anything, but i'll figure the phone out :("

Link sent his final message for the night, and it gave her a pang to her chest reading it. _"You need a phone so that it's easier to converse haha. and you deserve it :) have a nice rest as well, princess. Goodnight, sleeping beauty :)"_

Zelda let her eyes read over the message again, the smile on her face growing warmer each time. She placed her hand over her chest and felt her heartbeat grow fast. She needed to know exactly what it was she was feeling.

She minimized Skype and moved over to her web browser, going into her search bar and hovering her fingers over her keyboard. Unsure of what to write in explanation to what she was feeling.

 _Hm…_ , Zelda thought, _maybe…_ She started typing, " _What does it mean when I am feeling a tight feeling in my chest whenever I'm around someone?"_ Zelda hit enter, and she knew it was a long title but she needed to be as descriptive as possible.

She scrolled through the search engine, finding nothing but articles about anxiety or loss of blood and whatnot, and she was sure it was not that. She leaned back in her chair, trying to find a way to word her words before.

" _Why does my chest hurt when I'm around the person I enjoy being with?"_ Zelda retyped, hoping it would give her a better outcome.

By then, articles about love hurting or falling in love popped up, and it made her freeze.

 _It can't be that I'm in love, right?_ Zelda laughed off her nerves and clicked on her search bar, seeing multiple suggestions pop up under.

 _I'll just...see this one._ Zelda moved her cursor and clicked on where it said, " _feeling in chest when you love someone"._ She then found an article that had eleven signs to prove she was in love. Curiosity hit her, so she clicked it.

 _One: You can't stop staring at them._

Zelda felt her heart jump when she read the line. Especially because there were...a lot of times where she did find herself staring at Link a lot more than intended.

 _Two: You always think about them._

That was when Zelda almost clicked out because, thus far, the website was starting to describe how she'd been acting around Link. She can't be in love, it just couldn't happen.

 _Three: You want them to be happy._

 _Yet another thing that hits too close to home,_ Zelda speculated.

 _Four: You've been stressed lately._

Zelda was confused as to what that meant, because she didn't believe she'd been stressed out about Link at any time. _Maybe...just not yet,_ she theorized. Her eyes skimmed over every header the next number followed, but number ten and eleven hit _way_ too close that she had to click out and take a moment.

 _Ten: Your heart rate increases and you feel butterflies in your chest at just the thought of them._

 _Eleven: You don't mind anything odd they do, it's all a quirk you love about them._

 _No, no, no._ Zelda closed her laptop and folded her arms om her desk, resting her head on them, thinking everything through.

 _I can't be in love with Link. I just met him. He just got over his long-time crush. I'm the daughter of the richest man in Hyrule. He's a normal teenage boy with an odd liking to history and chivalry. He and I both love the same medieval concept. I love spending time with him. I…_ Zelda groaned loudly and whined as she shut her eyes tight, a little tear coming to her eye. _I love him. Oh dear Goddesses, I love him!_

* * *

Zelda woke up to the sound of knocking. She grunted tiredly and delicately picked up her head from her arms, her eyes adjusting to the light coming through her curtain. She groaned as she sat up straight, stretching. She wiped off the drool from the corner of her lips and grimaced seeing a dry, splotchy spot on her desk that was once wet.

Because of all of the thinking she did with her head down, it eventually lead her to falling asleep on her desk.

She let out a sigh and looked back at her door, rubbing her eyes. The knock was heard once again, making her let out another sigh and stand up from her chair, exhaustingly walking to her door.

When she opened the door, Lana was in front of her. It took Zelda a second to comprehend who it really was before she gasped, the exhaustion leaving her as she leaped forward and threw her arms around her shoulders, bringing her close in a hug.

"Lana!" Zelda pulled back from her friend, laughing as she saw the confused smile on Lana's face. "You're still here!"

Lana laughed and adjusted her uniform. "Good morning to you too, Zelda."

Zelda laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck from a sore she had gotten. "Heh, sorry. I just...after yesterday, I thought my father may had gotten you in big trouble, or something."

Lana had almost forgotten about the day before. "Oh, yeah." She smiled and leaned against the door frame. "He did get me in trouble, but he let me off a lot more nicer than I had anticipated. He said just to go to my room and be done for the day."

Zelda frowned and rubbed her eyes again, making sure to get all the crumbs out of her eyes. "Sorry," she said.

"It's okay, Zel." Lana smiled and patted down Zelda's messy hair. "Don't apologize. But...did you even change?"

Zelda looked down at her clothes, noticing she had the same clothes from the day before. "Whoops. I had, uh, actually slept on my desk last night." She laughed, but then she sulked and rethought over the events of last night with her and her father.

The blue-haired girl noticed. "Hey, are you okay?"

Zelda nodded, looking back up to Lana. "Yeah, but Father and I had gotten into a pretty bad argument last night. So...I just wanna know where he'd be at? If you know, that is. I just want to go apologize." She looked down and rubbed her arm, looking small. "I just feel...bad that I had yelled at him."

Lana nodded, pursing her lips. "Well...I just came to tell you to wake up, really. It's already 10:00 AM."

Zelda's eyes widened. "Ten?!" _Last night really took a toll out of me, especially after…_ She shook her head, wanting to forget all she had searched. "Well, never mind that. Do you know where he'd be, though?"

Lana shook her head, not sure. "Nope. Best guess is his office, if not then he's probably in his room."

Gratefully, Zelda smiled and moved forward to give Lana one more hug. "Thanks, Lana. I'll see you later. I have a lot to tell you about yesterday."

Lana grinned, already eager. "I can't wait! I gotta get to work, but good luck with your dad, Zelda."

Zelda nodded and walked around Lana, her walk for her father commencing.

* * *

"Well, he's not in his office…" Zelda closed her father's door, many thoughts on where her father may have been. He wasn't in his room, and not in his office. _Kitchen maybe?_

Zelda started moving her legs to the direction of the kitchen through the hallway, but she bumped into a worker as she turned a corner. Both of them had let out a sound of alert right as they collided, but Zelda smiled as she saw who it was.

"Pipit!" Zelda exclaimed.

Pipit looked at Zelda and smiled himself. "Oh, hi Miss Zelda. Long time, no see."

Pipit was one of the security guards of the mansion, he made sure everything was in orderly place and often took care of Zelda even as a child. She hadn't seen him in forever due to him being ranked up to all-time duty. Despite being 26-years-old, he was really healthy-looking with his light splatter of freckles on his cheeks.

Zelda chuckled and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Just Zelda is fine, Pipit. Only when my father isn't around, though. By any chance, do you know where he is?"

It took Pipit a single nod to get the message through to her. "Yes, actually. He told me he'd be downstairs in the basement."

Zelda was taken aback. "Basement?"

Pipit nodded. "Yes, the basement. The basement that no one is allowed to go to. Aside from you and him, of course. Or anyone who had been working here with him from the start and he trusts." In the end, he just shrugged. "I dunno, but it's complicated."

"I didn't even know we had a basement…," Zelda mumbled. She looked off to the side for a bit before being reluctant with her response. "Um...Pipit...if you don't mind me asking, where _is_ the basement?"

Pipit whistled low, crossing his arms. "Wow, if you didn't even know there was a basement then your dad must be hiding some top secret things." He smiled anyway, uncrossing his arms to gesture her to the direction of the basement. "Anyway, just go. You're his daughter, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Zelda followed his arm with her eyes, nodding in understanding. "Got it." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Pipit's lean waist. "Thanks, Pipit. I'll see you around."

Pipit hugged the girl back and gave her a tight, playful squeeze before laughing and releasing her. "I'll see ya around, kid."

Zelda grinned and bounded over to where Pipit motioned over to, excited to go to the said basement. Especially because she was unaware of it, she never knew the mansion had any kind of underground. Well, who was she kidding? They practically lived on a mountain; that's enough room for an underground level.

She kept going straight, passing by the walls with various paintings and making it to the end of the hallway. She looked to her right and saw the door a few feet within the wall, a short staircase leading to the door. Without any hesitation, Zelda bounded down the steps and noticed how dark it really was in the area.

In the dim light she had, she saw a hole in the wall with an unlit lantern and a lighter placed there, awaiting someone to use them. She'd be the one, she concluded.

Zelda picked up the lantern and then the lantern right after, holding the lantern by the top handle and using her right hand to light up the lantern, engulfing it and making a light source. She blew out the lighter and closed it, setting it aside on the platform it was previously on.

Looking back at the large, wooden door in front of her, Zelda was slightly intimidated. It looked...old. And when she opened it, it creaked and the inside looked even more...well, medieval. She noted that the stairs were made out of some sort of cobblestone, spiraling down.

Taking a deep breath, she took her first step in and started her way down the stairs. When the door closed on its own she let out a gasp of fright. It was pitch black down where she was going, but the lantern helped a whole lot to ease her slight nerves.

It had been at least a minute since Zelda had started walking down, and she was already feeling fatigued. _How many stairs are there?_ she wondered.

At least two minutes later had she made it to the bottom, and the sound of her foot hitting the ground below made her father turn around to face the opening she was in.

"Who's there?" he called out. "No one's supposed to be here."

Zelda gulped, suddenly afraid to speak. "M-me, Father."

Zelda squinted her eyes when her father flashed the flashlight he had in her eyes. "Zelda?" he asked.

"Yes, Father. Zelda." Zelda heard the rustling of fabric, and in the near distance the could see her father putting something over the wall. He then turned and grabbed his flashlight before walking over to her, having her meet him up halfway.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Despite his voice being steady, Zelda could sense he was nervous about something with how hushed it was.

"Uh...well…" Zelda made sure the lantern was bright enough on her face to have her father look at her clearly and see her expressions. "I just wanted to say sorry. About...about yesterday."

Zelda brought the lantern closer to his own face, seeing his expression be one of slight surprise.

"R-really?" he said. Hearing that made Zelda feel a lot more guilty about all that had happened. Often, she nor he don't apologize to one another. Hearing his genuine surprise made her heart clench.

"Yes. I...I'm sorry. I should've just told you his name. You were right, it wasn't anything big. But...I was just...scared." Zelda took a deep, shaky breath. "I was scared you'd end the one friendship I really want to keep and have you know about."

Through the lantern's dim lighting, Zelda saw Rhoam open his mouth. He wanted to say something, but words were still forming throughout his mind.

"Z...Zelda. I really don't know what to say. I'm really sorry, too," said Rhoam.

Hearing those words were enough for Zelda to feel a relief in her chest, and a wide smile break through. "Oh, Father… And, just because you wanted to know so badly...I'll let you know the boy's name."

A grin came upon her father's face, and he looked so genuinely happy for the first time in a while it made her smile as well. "Will you really?"

Zelda nodded, seeing as he turned his flashlight to a brighter setting and having it point upward so that the room had more light expand throughout the place.

"Yeah. Well…," Zelda saw as her father waited patiently, obviously so eager to hear what she had to say. It was weird to her on how excited he got over hearing their names, but she didn't know his mindset, "well, his name's Link. I don't know his last name so I can-"

"Link?"

Zelda tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow as she saw her father's smile fade away. The glint he had of excitement was then one of alarm. "Um, yes. Link."

Rhoam backed away a little bit, confusing Zelda furthermore. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room, his hands shaking as he looked back to his oblivious daughter. Even his voice was shaky. "This...this was exactly what I wanted to avoid," he said.

Zelda was far beyond confused. "Wait, why are you like this? His name's just Link."

Rhoam shook his head, walking past Zelda with no more words passing his lips as he set the flashlight down on the ground. Zelda just turned her head as she followed his movements and saw as he went up the steps, haste clearly in his movements.

"...weird." Zelda shook her head and looked down at the flashlight, setting the lantern aside on a box that was near her and crouched down to grab the flashlight. It was a lot more useful than the lantern, which provided hardly any light for such a big, dark room.

With the flashlight, she was able to see how big the basement really was; only half as big as the mansion itself. She pointed the flashlight all over the place, noticing all the dusty boxes and old furniture around place.

Zelda started walking, eyeing the whole place as she walked by certain objects. One box caught her eye, especially because it was open and the most obvious. It was in the far corner near a tattered up couch full of dust and dirt. She walked over to the box and set the flashlight upward to the ceiling, setting it aside to rest on the couch.

Zelda dug in the box, looking through the many parchments of paper there were. There were even some old papers of a map. Zelda held the map she grabbed out in front of her, paying attention to it.

It was a map of Hyrule, and it had markings all over it. Mainly just lines leading to an area.

 _How old is this map?_ she thought. She was also confused. Why would they have maps of Hyrule in the basement?

Zelda then had a thought crawl into her mind. _Why is there even furniture here? And what was it was my father was covering?_

Zelda grabbed the flashlight and started heading over to the end of the room, where the curtain her father put up right as she came in.

When she made it over there, she noticed another box in front of the fabric, so she opened it and noticed it was a bunch of books. She raised her brow and reached in to grab one, placing the light on the ground.

She ran her finger over the cover, and it was just as dusty as she had expected. The writing on the cover was scratched out, so she wasn't able to decipher what it was. Thus, she opened it. She crouched down beside the flashlight and read the words that were engraved into it. Well, tried to.

It looked like the old Sheikah language she had been interested in learning many times before but never got to it. She skipped a few pages, ready to move on to another book, but when she made it toward the end it was her average Hylian writing, except with more formal words.

" _Hyrule was saved once again. Ganon was defeated, just as expected. No matter how many battles or how long the ages are, Ganon will continue to come and settle his anguish on this land o' Hyrule all over again."_

Zelda's eyes were glued to the page, her eyebrows burrowing deeper into her brow.

" _Blessed by the Goddesses, Zelda and her companion, Link the Hylian champion, had once again defeated the great evil and saved this land. Thus, this ends the journey with the Princess and the Hylian champion once more, another adventure to be expected once again in a new generation."_

In the end of the paragraph was some writing in the end, but she was not able to understand its characters. _Wait._ Zelda reread over the paragraphs again, her mind hazy. _What is this?_

She tried going through the whole book to find the title, but it was all incoherent or not there. She stood right back up after placing the book on the ground, her eyes going dark as she had stood up way too quick, but she didn't stop there and instead reached back inside to grab another book; one smaller—fragile, old.

Zelda crouched back down, adrenaline rushing through her veins with all the information hitting her. What was it she was looking at exactly? Fairy tails of the old age war? Non-fictions?

She opened the book cautiously as to not ruin it, reading the first line.

 _Zelda's Diary_

Zelda's eyes practically popped out of her skull. She was so confused, everything was hitting her all at once. She was able to comprehend that book she had—a diary. She tried to find a date—anything to help her figure out if the diary really was one of the Princesses because she sure as hell did not expose her diary out to the people in the mansion, and it would _not_ be as tattered up as the one in her hands were.

She found a date, but it was fading away. But, it was enough to give her a confirmation.

 _This was ages ago…centuries ago!_ Zelda read the last page, the last entry. It was the events of what happened before the Calamity struck, because the Princess had stopped putting in anything after saying she had a bad feeling.

 _This is...this is crazy! How do we have this?! Not even the historians have a copy of the Princess' diary!_ Zelda placed the book down on the ground, hazy as she stood back up. She picked up the flashlight and pointed it at the curtain.

Worn out, old—just like everything in the room. She reached her hand up toward it, stroking the fabric with her fingers and felt the texture. She felt the roughness if it. She followed the fabric, noticing it goes almost all the way to the end of the wall.

She couldn't help it, she pulled the curtain down and let it crumple to the ground. Luckily, her father had dusted it off so she didn't get bombarded in heaps of dust and dirt.

Zelda backed away and let the light in her hand engulf one of the many large paintings that were hanging along the wall. Her wide eyes were eyeing the painting in front of her.

It was a woman with blonde hair and a man by her side wearing a green uniform. He was holding her hand, his other arm around her to hold her close by the small of her waist.

The woman wore a white dress, her hair supported with little bands wrapped around her fringes on either side of her face

It took Zelda a moment to comprehend, but she recognized the two. Her eyes widened, a gasp leaving her lips. _Don't tell me that's Zelda and the Hero of Skies!_ Zelda shook her head, wanting to not believe what it was she was seeing at that moment. She looked off to the other painting, seeing it the Princess with some man whom she had married, and so on so-forth as she did a gallery walk along the wall.

Some paintings, she concluded, were involved with the Princess and the Hero...meaning...they've, indeed, courted before. She moved on to the last painting along the wall. It was a man in a blue tunic, his arm arm around the woman's waist in the picture beside him with his sword's tip pointed toward the ground with a hand rested on the hilt.

The stance, the people, the faces—it was all too familiar to her. The man was the last Hero of Hyrule, and the Princess was the last to run a monarchy.

Zelda's brain hurt having to comprehend everything that was going on, and everything was going through her head in a fuzz.

She tried to make sense of all of it. The books, the maps, her father looking horrified at the name of the person she'd fallen for, the...paintings.

Nobody—not even the most professional historians—had the paintings she'd seen, nor the books. And that one book she read, the first one—did someone from back then write that? A Sheikah...

Zelda's eyes widened. _A Sheikah!_ She bent down and picked up the book she had grabbed first, eyeing it before tucking it under her arm. When she's ready, she would give it to Impa for her to translate for her.

But to her, the paintings didn't make sense. Nor, the diary. No historian had ever said anything about those things, and the paintings were never found!

A ding ticked in Zelda's mind. She looked back up to the paintings, seeing the Princess and her husband look ahead, all high and mighty.

Her home—a mansion. Hyrule Castle? Gone. And a mansion is the next biggest thing to a castle, and her home was _way too_ big to be just an ordinary mansion. Her basement, it held all the notes and papers from back then; books, paintings, all of it! Even the furniture!

Zelda felt her whole body shake as the thought hit her. The reality of everything she had just learned was that... _she_ —Zelda Bosphoramus!—had been born and raised in a building that was once Hyrule Castle.

 **Oop yet another longish chapter, but idk if i'm moving too quickly, not sure lmao. I kinda don't want this story to be too long but I want to squeeze in a lot that I can without making it rushed. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter though :) Honestly, just a single review literally saying just "good" makes my day because it makes me think you actually liked this chapter decently and read it or any constructive criticism is also welcomed. I'm learning to improve my writing the best to my possibility :) Till next time.**


	11. 10 - History

Her father—hiding the truth from her! It was simply bizarre!

Zelda rushed down the hallway, determined to find her father. His office was the best guess since he was probably over there looking something up.

She had gone over to her room to hide the book and the diary she grabbed from down in the basement before going over to her father. She didn't want him taking them away from her, anyway.

 _Maybe I'm just overthinking it?_ Zelda turned a corner and was met with her father's door in front of her. _Or maybe it's all the truth._

She clenched her fists before relaxing them and taking a deep breath, opening her father's door.

Just as she suspected, he was behind his desk with a bunch of papers and books scattered on his desk. To sum it up, he looked stressed.

Zelda walked up to him, waiting for him to look up from the book he was frantically reading. When he didn't stop to look up, she spoke out saying, "Father, what's down there in the basement?" She knew well enough what was down there, but she was testing her beloved father.

He jumped up from slouching and panicked as he tried to cover the books and papers not-so-subtly. "Oh, Zelda! I didn't know you came in."

Zelda walked closer to his desk and crossed her arms. "Yes, I'm here, but what's in the basement?" She glanced at the stuff lying on his desk and gestured toward it. "And what are those?"

Rhoam started to grow a bead of sweat on his forehead. "Uh— Nothing. For both."

Zelda pursed her lips and frowned. "Are you sure?"

Her father nodded, trying to seem confident. "Yes."

That was when Zelda felt a sigh leave her mouth. "Father...I know what's down there."

Rhoam looked down, not seeming to be high and mighty anymore. He ran a hand through his hair and a shaky sigh came out of him. "Did you really?"

It surprised Zelda at his soft voice, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. It… Why do we have paintings of the Princess from long ago?"

Rhoam didn't look at her when he inquired, "Was she with a man?"

"Yes, she was." Despite the confusion of what was down in the basement, and with how it slightly frightened her, she was eager to hear about it.

"Well, uh…" Rhoam leaned back in his chair and sighed stressfully, reluctant to tell his daughter anything.

Zelda wanted to know everything though—her father was hiding things and she didn't like it, especially for it being hidden from her all her life. The question about the mansion's origin had been wanting to slip past her lips ever since she walked in, but she waited as patiently as she could.

Rhoam continued. "Well, that's the Princess and the other Princesses from ages past." He forced himself to look into Zelda's eyes. "That's it."

"But, no one else had seen them. Not even historians; it's been _centuries_ and _ages_ since the events from long ago happened and those drawings were made, surely someone would've at least had them to share out with the public." Zelda was letting out all she had within her—she wanted answers. "And, may I inquire," she held up a finger, "why do _we_ have them?"

Rhoam was silent then, unsure how to answer without giving too much away. "Um, well, Zelda...you see…"

Zelda wasn't able to hold it in anymore. "When was this mansion made?"

"Zelda—"

Zelda asked again, emphasizing her question. "When was this mansion made and why do we have furniture, papers, drawings, and books from way back then?"

The look on her father's face was enough to show that he was trapped in a corner. "This-this mansion— _our home_ —was made many years ago. I...I didn't make it. So, I cannot tell you."

"It's not that you can't tell me, you just don't _want_ to," exclaimed Zelda. "You _own_ this mansion now, you should have the right to know it's origin."

Rhoam stuttered to bring out his next words. "Zelda, I...I really can't." Out of nowhere, he frowned, continuing his statement. "I...am afraid to do so to ensure your safety."

Zelda was taken aback, confusion clearly all over her features. " _My safety_?! Father, why is everything all about my safety?!"

Rhoam couldn't hold back either. "Because if I tell you the truth then you'll _be_ in danger!"

Zelda set her foot down. "Just tell me the truth!" She was heaving by then, clearly tired of her father delaying their conversation.

"I can't, Zelda!" Rhoam was desperate to get his point across. "Why can't you just understand?!"

"Because I'm already having a hunch that _this,_ " Zelda furiously pointed at the ground, "mansion we live in used to be Hyrule Castle!"

Defeated, Zelda concluded, was what her father looked like at that moment. He struggled to say anything else, all his excuses dying in the back of his throat. Instead, he had sighed angrily. He clearly didn't want to say anything to Zelda, but he decided there was no use anymore to hide anything. He started saying, "Fine. Do you really want to know the truth so badly?"

A nod from Zelda was enough for him to leak. "Okay," he said, "first of all, this mansion wasn't one long ago, it was Hyrule Castle—" Rhoam stopped to look at his daughter intently, watching her expressions—"so you're right."

"So...we live in the rebuild of Hyrule Castle?" Zelda muttered softly.

Rhoam wasn't sure if she was talking to him or to herself, but he still responded. "Technically, this _is_ Hyrule Castle. It would've been if castles were still existent, but monarchy died so long ago that what had used to be called a castle is now what we call a mansion."

Waiting for her to respond—which she didn't—Rhoam was unsure how to form his next words. He opened his mouth, but it closed just as quick as it opened.

It was silent between the two, mainly because Zelda was taking her time to comprehend and her father was cautious. But, he ended the silence with his next words.

"Um...I…" Rhoam sighed, scared to say the rest. "I'm unsure of how to tell you another thing."

"I-it's okay. Just...please tell me everything, though." Zelda was calm, subtly encouraging her father to go slow because she was still having a moment to take all he had said into context.

Rhoam nodded and took a deep breath and collected his thoughts before speaking out once again. "So...a big thing is that your last name isn't…really...Bosphoramus."

Zelda's eyes widened right as her heart sank to her stomach. "W...what?"

Rhoam merely nodded. "Yes. Your...last name is actually Hyrule. Bosphoramus was just a cover up; it's my middle name."

 _Wait._ Zelda felt her heart sink lower than the first, her words coming out choked. "D...does that mean—"

Rhoam, solemnly, nodded. "I know what you're thinking. And yes, you're right—we are apart of the royalty bloodline. Which means you're the descendant of former Princess Zelda."

Zelda stared at her father, mouth agape. If anything, Zelda should've been excited, but she was actually...scared. Her, the descendant of a _goddess_ reborn? It didn't add up. It just didn't. It couldn't be real, either. Surely, her father was just joking...right?

Zelda was about to cry, her pent up anger coming out into overwhelming tears. She choked on her words as she struggled to release them. "Why didn't you ever tell me this?'"

Her father was silent, refusing to answer. He bounced his leg up and down underneath his desk, debating whether to answer his daughter or not.

But, Zelda was impatient. "Father, _why_ did you _never_ tell me this?"

All Rhoam did was look silently at his desk, no words coming out. Either he couldn't tell her, or he just didn't want to. Either way, Zelda was fed up with her father and turned on her heel, practically running to the door before she opened it and ran out of his room.

As she rushed over to her own room, she wiped away her tears as she was unsure of what to do with all she had found out. _This is so...crazy! Why did he never tell me?!_

Zelda turned a corner, apologizing to someone she bumped into before continuing on to her destination. _Who would even believe me if I told them this? Surely no one here would. Not even Lana, probably!_

Once Zelda made it to her door, she slammed it closed right after opening and entering. She grabbed a random backpack she had lying somewhere in her room and walked over to her desk, laying the bag on her desk to put the diary, the book, and the phone's box inside the bag—the phone was so Link could help her start it up. She zipped it closed after settling her things in there and put on the closest pair of shoes she found lying around, which happened to be the ones from the day before.

Zelda, having just awaken about an hour ago, was not fazed by how she looked—same clothing from the day before, hair a mess. Luckily, her hair wasn't so messy so she was able to run her fingers through it and pat it down the best she could. The bathroom was in another room and she wasn't going to go back out to brush her hair.

Zelda had no time to waste, quickly grabbing a mint from out of the drawer attached to her desk and popping it in her mouth right as she swung the backpack over her shoulder.

She made sure it was strapped correctly before heading over to her window, in a haste just in case her father would go and find her.

Right as she stepped outside her window, she knew just the person who she would go and find.

* * *

Zelda knocked on the door, fidgeting with her hands as she waited for an answer.

 _This is stupid,_ she thought. _I didn't even message him to tell him I'd be over so what if they aren't-_

The door opened to reveal Impa, interrupting Zelda's thoughts.

The smell of food was what hit Zelda immediately after the door opened, so she frowned as she remembered she didn't eat breakfast. Nonetheless, she continued on.

"Hi, Impa," Zelda greeted, a polite smile on her face.

Impa smiled, clearly content seeing Zelda despite the unexpected visit. "Oh, hello! What brings you here? Link didn't tell me you were coming. "

Zelda laughed just a bit, holding onto the straps of her backpack. "Yeah, well, Link doesn't even know either. I wasn't planning on coming but something happened and I came here out of the blue to come talk to him about it—in person, I would prefer to, which is why I didn't message him or anything."

Impa nodded, understanding Zelda's point. "I see what you mean, well, come in." Impa stepped aside for Zelda to enter. When she did, Impa closes the door behind her and watched as Zelda looked around as if it were her first time there.

"Um...where is Link, anyway?" Zelda turned to Impa, the tilt of her head enough for Impa to understand her curiosity.

"Oh, he's down that hallway in his room, sweetie." Impa lead Zelda's eyes with her finger toward the hallway behind Zelda. "You can go and check on him if you want; if he doesn't answer then he's probably sleeping so just go on ahead and enter to wake him." Impa started walking back to the kitchen, but she turned back to the girl. "I'm making breakfast, would you like some? It's an omelet."

Zelda nodded, relieved she'd be able to eat. "Yes, please, thank you so much."

Impa nodded, a smile going out to Zelda before she entered the kitchen again.

Zelda turned around and made her way over to the hallway, looking at everything around her: pictures, yearbook photos, photos of scenery, family photos, holiday celebrations, furniture, T.V., etc.

Zelda stumbled upon a table that had family photos right at the entrance of the hallway, and a child Link was amongst it. His hair was parted in the middle—shorter than she'd ever seen it—and he had a tooth gap when he smiled, so it was at that point she had assumed it'd been fixed before she met him.

Least to say, he was absolutely adorable. But, she carried on and continued over to walking over to Link's room, which was literally at the end of the hallway. It was obviously his room, Zelda concluded, when she made it because the front of his door was covered in old, scratched-up stickers that consisted of soldiers, army men, swords, and shields. It had seemed like Link wanted to get rid of them at some point, but he ended up giving up.

Zelda still smiled, for it was a cute feat adding on to Link's passion. She raised her arm up to knock his door with her knuckles, letting the sound of Impa's cooking hover in the air after the knocking seized.

About a minute had passed, yet there was no answer. That was when Zelda decided to open the door for herself, which was fortunately unlocked.

She quickly walked in, first peeking her head in to make sure Link was somewhere inside before stepping in all the way. He was in the corner of the room next to his closet as he was facing his articles of clothing, his phone in his hands as he was messaging someone.

Zelda blushed, for his bare back was clearly in view—hair down. Her mouth felt dry as she opened her mouth to try and speak out, but she couldn't say anything at the time. She wanted to speak out, but her words always got caught in her throat. Curse her mind for she was thinking inappropriately—dare she even say Link looked insanely attractive even as he turned around and gave her a front-view of his chiseled chest and toned stomach.

He was facing the ground as he read over a few messages, smiling to himself with slight laughter. When he turned off his screen and placed the phone down on his drawer, he removed his earphones from his ears as he looked ahead of him, getting ready to stretch until he saw an unexpected visitor.

Like the man he was, Link yelped in surprise and quickly scrambled to grab something to cover his body, which was a muscle shirt that had been thrown onto the ground.

Zelda turned red, unsuccessfully making it seem like she hadn't been looking—Link knew she was, unfortunately.

"I-I'm sorry!" Zelda used her hand to cover the corner of her peripheral vision with her head facing the other way, her heart racing. "I...I didn't know you were up, I thought— I thought you were asleep…"

Zelda heard Link quickly rummage through his closet as he picked out a random article of clothing to put on, telling Zelda it was okay to look afterward.

"It's...it's okay." Link pursed his lips, looking shy as Zelda looked back to him. He ran his fingers through his messy hair to the back of his neck, rubbing the nape as he fidgeted bashfully on the spot.

Zelda watched as he adjusted his sweatpants under the loose t-shirt and crossed his arms over his chest, unable to look into her eyes. "I'm just...not really comfortable showing my body out to people like that," he laughed out.

Zelda knew what he meant, and she suddenly felt bad about thinking of such a lewd way about him but her mind wasn't able to move away from it. "I'm sorry I was looking. I… You were just there!" Zelda laughed to clear the tense air. "I knocked but I suppose you had your earphones on with music or something."

"Oh…" Link licked his bottom lip and swallowed a lump in his throat, reaching over to grab his phone and then waving it in front of her with a smile on his lips. "Y-yeah I had music, but I was actually messaging you good morning, but I guess there was no need for that since you're here." Link paused, a laugh bubbling out. "Quite unexpectedly, might I add."

Zelda laughed at the truth of his words. "Well...I was in a bit of a rush. What I want to talk to you about is something I _had_ to tell you in person—I dunno how I'm gonna do it, but I'll find a way. But...," she pursed her lips, nervous, "c-can we talk about it in private later on?"

Link had a confused smile on his lips as he grabbed a brush from his desk, brushing down his hair. "Okay? It must be crazy then, if it's hard to say." He glanced at her backpack straps. "And if you brought a bag." He ran his brush through his small tangles, flattening his hair and settling his bangs. "We could later go to Korok Forest, it's the most private area I know."

Zelda puffed air out of her cheeks, shaking her head. "Oh, you have no idea, Link. Korok Forest sounds great."

Link nodded his head in understanding to her words, gesturing his head to his bed. "You can put your backpack on my bed, if you'd like." He set his brush down and removed his rubber band from his wrist to messily tie his hair into his signature ponytail, puffing out his cheeks as he blew his bangs away from his face.

"I should cut my hair, like seriously." Link adjusted his bangs and walked up to Zelda right as she was setting her bag on his bed, sitting on his bed right after.

Zelda looked up at Link, her hands rested on her lap as she watched him stand in front of her, a smile growing upon his lips. She felt her heart flutter, for such a sight was too sweet for her own eyes. But, a thought hit her. She was then saying, "Hey, Link. You know, I forget that you're actually a little shorter than me."

Link pouted and crossed his arms again, a slight push to his bottom lip. "Well, look who's taller now, Princess."

Zelda laughed, her chest getting the pang she'd known all to well by then. She squinted her eyes playfully, frowning in a way to tease Link as she looked up into his eyes. "I don't know...I don't think I see anyone up there, I think you're stepping on a stool."

Link feigned offence, putting a hand to his chest as he stepped back from the hit of Zelda's words. "Ouch. That hurt, your great majesty."

Zelda smirked playfully, placing both of her hands on the edge of the bed on either side of her, leaning forward. "Well, Sir Link, I'm 'your majesty' so I have the right to say what I can."

The look on Link's face made Zelda want to retract her words, but it was then when he smirked and bent down to look her in the eye that she started blushing. He was too close—closer than expected.

Link was aware—a blush was visible on his cheeks—but he needed to keep his act in place. He grinned, their noses almost touching as he uttered, "I believe that is where you're wrong, Princess Zelda."

Zelda almost started to sweat; their close proximity, their breaths so close Zelda could feel the heat, and Link's beautiful, cerulean eyes...it was enough to make it hard to refrain from doing something she had no experience in, something she knew she'd regret doing—kissing him. She couldn't, but he was way too close that it was becoming difficult for the two to hold back from leaning in any further before—

"Hello, hello." Impa peeked her head through the doorway, her eyes searching for the kids until they landed on the scene before her on Link's bed.

Link slowly pulled back, his heart dropping low into his stomach as he realized his aunt caught them in a not-so-best position. Zelda had already backed away to the wall, trying to make the scene look as innocent as possible.

"Oh, wow. Did I interrupt anything?" Impa smirked seeing how red her niece had gotten, laughing as she saw Zelda turn just as red as her irises.

Zelda shook her head, trying to steady her heart rate and breathing. "N-no, nothing at all!"

Impa rose an eyebrow, moving her eyes from Zelda to Link, who was shaking his head as well. "Nope," he said. "We were just talking. Wh-what is it you're here for?"

The Sheikah smiled, her mindset of a mom taking over. That was when she knew she'd have fun talking to them whilst they ate. "Well, first of all, breakfast is ready. Secondly, if you guys are gonna get touchy, as least close the door, kids."

The door closed, indicating Impa left to go back downstairs, just like how the two teens were left alone once again.

Link stumbled over his words, finding it hard to face Zelda. "S-so...breakfast?"

Zelda nodded, biting her bottom lip as she crawled out of his bed, apologizing for her shoes on his bed. "Yeah. Uh, breakfast."

* * *

"So...what were you guys doing back there in my kid's room?" Impa cut a piece of her omelet and stuffed it in her mouth with her fork. She chewed as she watched Link stumble to form any words, Zelda staying quiet as she silently cut up her omelet with a pink face.

" _M-my_ room, to clarify—" Link glanced over to Zelda, looking for any kind of support, but she wasn't even looking up so he continued back over to his aunt—"w-we were just talking. Like, no lie, we really were just talking. Nothing happened."

"But," countered Impa, a teasing grin on her face, "you guys were awfully close."

"Link just went to check if there was anything in my eye," stated Zelda. She bit her lower lip and nodded, "confirming" her words. "The reason we acted the way we did when you came in is because you scared us—we knew the position we were in didn't look very appropriate."

Link swallowed his food, but it went the wrong hole right as Zelda finished speaking so he subtly tried to choke it out. "M-m-hmm." He coughed and drank his juice, chugging to get rid of the lump of food. "Ah, sorry." He cleaned the corners of his mouth and nodded, trying to ignore the amused looks his aunt and friend were giving him with a pink tint to his cheeks. "Wh-what she said."

"Just eat, kids." Impa laughed lightly and cut up another part of her food. "Clearly this is rubbing the wrong way on you two."

Zelda didn't say anything, looking at her food as she cut it up and stabbed it with her fork, eating right after.

The table was silent as they ate, but Zelda spoke out eventually. "Y'know," she was saying, looking up to Impa, "this is actually _really_ good."

Impa smiled politely nodding her head. "Thank you, Zelda." She turned to Link, raising her cup of juice to emphasize her point to Link. "Take notes, Link. At least someone appreciates my cooking."

"H-hey!" Link frowned and paused his movements to refrain stuffing his food into his mouth. "I eat everything you make, thank you very much. I even say thank you when you hand me the food."

"You gotta try harder." Impa smirked and went back to eating, laughing as she saw Link finish his plate already. "You're just always hungry, but yet you're still a stick."

Link rolled his eyes playfully, nodding his head toward Zelda—the one who was laughing off to the side. "Zelda's here, please don't embarrass me."

"You always embarrass yourself, Linky," stated Impa.

Link furrowed his brow and turned to Zelda, watching as she sipped her juice and shrugged, smiling as she giggled. "She isn't really wrong, Linky."

Link pouted at her mocking words and stood up, moving around the table to place his plate in the sink for later cleaning. He sighed and dusted off his hands, turning to face the table full of his favorite people. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," said Zelda, not looking at him as she ate her food in peace.

Impa watched the two interact—Link's smile as he walked over to the restroom after announcing he was going to brush his teeth giving her hints on her bet with Lake.

Speaking of Lake, Impa perked up. "Oh! Wait here, Zelda."

Zelda watched curiously as Impa walked over to one of the many hallways in the house, shrugging as she continued to eat, only halfway done because she wanted to keep her food down slowly. That was until Zelda heard barking that she gasped excitingly and stopped eating all together.

"Lake!" Zelda watched as the dog barked happily and bounded over to her, Zelda readily moving her position to sit on the side of the chair to face Lake as he ran over to her.

Lake jumped up onto her lap and started licking her face all over, making her hysterically laugh in joy as he was all over her. "I've missed you!"

As Impa walked back to the dining room and laughed as she saw Zelda interact with Lake, she saw Link standing at the entrance of his hallway with his toothbrush in his mouth, a smile on his lips as he saw the scene between Zelda and his dog. That was when she smirked and turned back to Zelda, keeping quiet about his appearance.

"Okay, okay!" Zelda laughed and pushed Lake down, shaking her head as he tried to eat her food. "No, Lake. My food." She laughed as he whined and ruffled his brown fur, scratching him behind the ear. "Some other day I'll get you something; I promise you that."

Lake seemed to have understood her as he growled playfully and rolled onto his back, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Zelda pet him with her foot before turning back to her food, eating quickly so she could play with Lake as much as she can.

 _Cute._ Link turned around with a smile on his lips as he quickly went back to the bathroom to spit out his toothpaste. As he did so, he was unaware of what he was referring to when he thought of the word cute… Probably Lake, he assumed. But, he was lying to himself. He knew that.

Zelda, on the other hand, was already playing with Lake, sitting on the ground in the living room as she ruffled his fur.

"Have you been a good boy on your stay here so far, Lake?" Zelda laughed as the retriever shook his body and trotted around her in a circle before deciding to climb into her lap, getting cozy.

Zelda looked up at Impa and chuckled as she ran her fingers through Lake's fur. "How's he been around you guys?"

Impa walked over to Zelda and took a seat on the couch nearby, resting her chin on her palm with her elbow on the armrest. "Oh, he's been really cooperative, and he liked us very quickly—" she laughed—"only because we gave him tons of meat."

Zelda laughed and caressed the dog's hair, smiling at him as he enjoyed being pet with closed eyes. "He's very well loved… And I'm afraid if I move I would wake him but I could be at risk of my leg falling asleep."

Impa laughed at Zelda's words and stood up, bending down to pick up Lake even as he whined from being awakened. "I believe he's a little _too_ loved." She set him on the couch and let him go back to sleep after he got comfortable, turning over to the sound of Link coming out of the hallway.

"Dressed up, I see." Impa smiled and walked up to Link, eyeing his clothes for the day. Almost the same as always, but instead of a hoodie it was a jacket with the same green t-shirt he had on for breakfast with slightly tight khakis. For once, he didn't look bummy.

Link watched as Zelda picked herself up from the ground, stuffing his hands in his pockets in his jacket. "Well, Zelda and I were going to go out today. We know it's sudden, but...it's something we'd like to discuss somewhere that's private."

"Oh." Impa glanced at Zelda as she walked up to stand beside her, her red eyes squinting a little as she found ways in her head to form her next question. "Um… Where're you guys going?"

Link seemed a little put on the spot, but he shrugged and said, "Probably somewhere in the park that's empty."

"Ah," Impa nodded, smiling at her kid. "Alright. Are you guys heading out now?"

"Uh—" Zelda held up her finger, wanting to say something but seemingly shy about it—"b-before we do go...do you guys have any spare toothbrushes? I...uh...came here out of the blue, so I had no time to brush."

"No wonder your hair's a little messy," Impa joke. But, she had still pointed over to the direction of the bathroom in Link's hallway. "In Link's bathroom there should be a spare toothbrush under the sink; check there."

Zelda smiled politely at both Link and Impa, nodding in thanks before walking past the two to head over to the hallway.

Once she disappeared, Impa waited a few seconds until she heard the door open and close before speaking. What she said was, "So, Zelda doesn't know about the Lost Woods?"

Link shrugged, feigning innocence. "I don't think so. I mean, she's positively heard of it but never been there. I...I don't plan on taking her there, unless...you let me?" Link knew it was a long shot—he'd already been taking Zelda over to the woods, even the forest within the woods. It was better safe than sorry, he told himself.

It took a little time before Impa gave Link his answer. "Just...just Korok Forest okay?" Impa lowered her voice, making sure she was as quiet as possible in case of Zelda being able to hear despite being careful beforehand. "Just...be careful. Okay? If you stumble upon anything you've never seen before, do _not_ go to it. Don't even touch it."

Link sighed, slightly in irritation. It was weird to hear those words come out of his aunt's mouth, but she hadn't said them in almost years after he claimed his tree and told her about it. Apparently, the Lost Woods was more than just some part of ancient history—but Link didn't exactly take her word for it because he hadn't seen anything suspicious. Besides, what else was there besides Korok Forest? Sometimes, his aunt made no sense.

"Okay," he simply said.

His guardian smiled, a small one. "Now, I have another thing to ask—do you like Zelda?"

Link tried to play it cool once the question was out, but he stumbled some on his words and scratched his head, trying to look his aunt in the eyes. "Y-yeah, I do. Why?"

Link knew what she was asking, and it became even more obvious when she shook her head and rephrased her question. "No," she corrected, "do you _love her_?"

To say Link turned red was an understatement, but he ignored the question. Impa didn't drop it, though, for she was waiting on his answer.

He cursed silently in his head, peeking over to the hallway before turning back to Impa, quietly saying, "I suppose."

Impa practically threw her fist in the air. "I knew it!"

Link panicked, holding out his hands as he kept glancing over to the hallway to make sure Zelda was deep within. "Not so loud, Impa!"

Impa grinned, crossing her arms. "Now, all we need to do is wait."

"Wha— wait?" Link tilted his head, confusion all over his face. "What do you mean wait?"

Impa shrugged, a smug grin on her lips. She refused to answer, and she was fortunate enough that Zelda had been heard closing a door and coming out into the opening.

"Hi," she greeted. She had her backpack with her, her hair more neatly brushed despite it being set free from any kind of style, her teeth cleanly brushed for the morning. "I decided to just grab my things, since we're leaving anyway." She looked over to Impa, a smile on her lips. "Thank you, for having me here for breakfast and letting me brush my teeth."

Impa laughed at that, Link being occupied with thinking over what his aunt had told him. "It's not problem, darling," she said.

"Well," interrupted Link, "we can head out now."

"Alrighty." Zelda walked over to Lake past Impa and Link, bending down to give him a soft kiss on the head and to lightly scratch the back of his ear before saying, "I'll see you later, sweetie."

Unknown to her, Link had felt a swelling in his chest seeing Zelda interact like that with their dog—Impa, being very observative, had not missed his look.

 _Wow,_ his aunt thought, smiling even as he walked up to Lake himself and ruffled his fur with a farewell, _he really does have the hots for her._

"Anyway," uttered Link, "we'll get going." He walked over to Impa and gave her a goodbye-hug, the two squeezing each other playfully before letting go of one another. "I'll see you later."

Zelda was watching from the distance, smiling at the interaction the two were having—that was until Impa strode over to her and enveloped her in her own good-bye hug, one where she was squeezed as well.

Zelda was surprised by Impa's strong arms, but she had hugged back, either way. She pulled back, smiling sincerely. "Thanks, Impa. I'll see you later."

Link grabbed Zelda's arm, linking his own with hers right as Impa said, "No problem, honey." But, when she saw the two start opening the door, she said, "Be careful, kids."

The two teens nodded her way, standing in the doorway as they waved farewell. "Will do," Link said. Zelda nodded in agreement, right after.

Then, they started their walk over to the park right after they closed his house door.

* * *

"We...are going to Korok Forest, correct?" Zelda tentatively asked, for they seemed to be heading in its direction.

Throughout their walk, they went from linked arms to intertwined hands. It was such an impulsive move whenever they held hands, it was then becoming an natural instinct for the two that it wasn't even uncomfortable or surprising when the other did it.

"Yes," answered Link. "I said park because...well, my aunt isn't as approving as you would expect her to had been about me taking you to the Lost Woods." He saw Zelda squint her eyes, but he shook his head, "She's okay with it now, though. Trust me, you're fine within the Korok Forest now." Link smiled after his sentence, the Lost Woods seemingly closer in the distance.

"So…," she was saying, "after all this time, your aunt wouldn't have approved of us going to the woods, in general, if she knew?"

Link shrugged with a nod, feeling Zelda's hand loosen in his. "Pretty much."

Zelda stopped walking and was going to let go to scold him, but he quickly tightened his grip on her hand. "B-but don't worry now! She-she's okay with it. She's just very scared of what will happen to someone I bring within the woods without her permission because, as I've said, she was the one who taught me how to even maneuver around the Lost Woods."

Zelda didn't say anything but instead stared at him, many thoughts swimming through her head. "I...I guess… So, it's okay now?"

Link nodded, bringing up his other hand to gently place it over Zelda's to have her hand sandwiched softly between his own. "Yes." He was speaking softly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but...seeing you so... _excited_ is something I want to see." He smiled, his next words coming out with a little push of confidence. "And seeing you smile is the best part."

That was when Zelda started to blush, her feelings going all over the place. She stuttered as she opened her mouth, unsure how to respond. "O-oh…," she uttered. She laughed sheepishly and used her other and to cover her mouth as she smiled. "Thank you, I suppose…"

Link grinned by then, his own blush coming out of it. He released her hand and gestured to the side with a nod. "Great. Let's get going."

The two started their walk again, their red faces slowly departing.

Zelda was a little shy by then, but their hands were apart and she wanted to feel his warmth despite feeling bashful from his words before. Thus, she reached for his hand—tentatively, at first, but when Link felt her pinkie brush against his own he had reached to grab her hand along the way, their hands tightly locked together.

 _Oh dear the gods…_ Zelda was slightly panicking on the inside. Her heart was beating fast, but she was happy to be holding his hand.

Link, too, felt his heart rate blow up. He hadn't felt the way he did ever since he first fell for...Mipha… But, his mind dwelled away from that. He was over her now. And as inappropriate as it sounded, he was starting to fall for Zelda. He couldn't help it. He didn't mean to—she was just a stranger before, but by then...it seemed as if he'd known her for ages.

 _Oh goddesses,_ they both had thought _,_ their hands bringing them closer together, _I really am in love with her/him._

* * *

"Hey, I've been curious." Link glanced over to Zelda as they walked through the Lost Woods, stopping at the right moment to watch the air. "Why _are_ you wearing the same clothes from yesterday?"

Zelda wasn't sure whether to partly lie, or to lie in general—maybe the first option was better. "Uh, well," she started, watching Link as he skillfully found his way through the intimidating woods, "I...was just up last night looking at something and I guess it lead me to just knock out on the spot. I wasn't planning on changing until _before_ I go to sleep, but I guess that didn't work out." She scratched her head, unsure how to form words at that moment. Her eyes focused on Link, who had turned his head to give her an intrigued glance. So, she continued. "I had waken up a little later than usual this morning—10:00, to be exact—and I wanted to go apologize to my father for something...ah…" Zelda paused, laughing slightly as she said, "this'll come into play when I explain everything—long story short, I had discovered something and just had to come find you in a rush."

Link was silent the whole time, half on focusing to find his way and half on listening to Zelda speak—it had been awhile since he'd heard her rant like that, after all. He responded, anyway. "Why me?" He had a hunch, but he wanted to know the real reason.

Zelda's answer was immediate. "Because you were the first person to cross my mind who will understand me and—hopefully—believe what I'll tell you."

Link stopped walking, making sure they were in a safe area before turning back to Zelda, who had tightened her grip slightly on his hand when she added, "A-and...I trust you."

To hear such words come out of her mouth was enough to make his whole day, and he was glad he could agree with her on that. He simply smiled, making sure to show enough sincerity through the action before tugging her hand to keep walking. He wasn't aware of what it was Zelda was going to tell him, but he was slightly eager to hear about it.

"We're here," he announced, his thoughts coming to a break right as he entered the entrance to his little village of trees.

"Great," responded Zelda. She let go of Link's hand and slid off her backpack, raising it up just enough to give Link a clear view of it as she said, "Let's go inside the tree, what I'm going to tell you won't be easy to let out."

Hearing those words made Link slightly worried, but he nodded, nonetheless, and swallowed a nervous lump in his throat before following behind Zelda as she walked over to the tree's entrance.

The two walked in, Zelda heading over to the makeshift-couch to sit down and set her bag on her lap, zipping it open.

Link, on the other hand, was simply just standing in front of her, eyeing her movements with visible curiosity when she took out a book—no, two. Two books. She set her bag to the side, and he noticed she was insanely nervous. That was his cue to walk up to sit beside her, scooting in close to her in case she needed comforting, but far enough for her to not be uncomfortable.

"Alright," Link said, keeping his voice as firm and as serious as possible, "what is it?"

Instead of answering verbally, Zelda picked up one of the books—a rather thick one, at that—and opened it, placing each side of the book on their thigh for a mini table. "Can you read this?" she asked.

Link went from looking at her with confusion to looking at the book, even more confusion contorting across his features. "Um…" He was going to say he was incapable of reading the letterings on the book, but a few characters were recognizable and it had him let out a gasp of realization. "I can actually! Well—just a few words." Link squinted his eyes, as if in thought, and leaned in slightly as he read over the words carefully.

"Do you know the language it's written in?" Zelda asked again, excitement bursting through just slightly. Finding out Link was able to decipher a few words was enough for her.

"Yeah," Link confirmed. He looked up from the book to look at Zelda, who was waiting on him with a fascinated look crossing her face. "I don't know if you know how to read it, but it's the Sheikah language." He glanced again at the book. "Old, actually."

"I had just a little guess on what the language may be, and I guessed right," Zelda laughed out. "But, how do you know how to read it? I surely can't."

Link gazed into her focused eyes, the corner of his lips twitching upward. "My aunt—she's a Sheikah, remember?" Zelda nodded, so he continued. "Yeah, well she ended up teaching me a few of her language, new and old, throughout the years. I guess it's finally coming in handy," he laughed.

Zelda smiled wide, looking back down onto the book, her thumb holding the cover down to keep it in place. "Do you know what this first page is trying to say?"

Link looked back down at the book, opening his mouth to say, "Um...it's probably a little rusty, but…" His eyes skimmed over the characters carefully, nodding. "Well, it's something about Goddess Hylia, for one." His eyes moved over to the next page, confusion over his features. "And, uh...how she fought for the people of her land? Not sure—I'm telling you, it's rusty. And I'm pretty sure the rest are... _really_ old Sheikah, which is odd. It's either really old, or I just can't decipher it because I'm more current with the present Sheikah language "

Zelda shook her head softly. "No, no. It's okay. This changes it now. Just those few words give me an idea." She skipped over to somewhere in the middle of the book, moving the book closer to Link's side, watching as he looked over the characters imprinted on the old book. "Can you read this part for me?"

Link nodded, already ahead of her. "Ah, here we go. I can read this a little bit more fluently. The only words I can catch are '...he saved the land of Hyrule' and 'The beast is no longer needed to fight, he is free from his duty and is now set as the Princess''..." Link paused, shaking his head. "I dunno what that says, sorry…"

Zelda shook her head again, her voice so soft Link almost missed it. "It's okay…" Her voice rose just a bit more. "Um, it's okay. Sorry, this is kinda a lot to take in. That's a bit more from the last and…" She couldn't continue talking, her head suddenly throbbing as a thought suddenly hit her—a vague scene of someone akin to the Hero being blurred into a beast, a wolf.

"The beast…" she muttered, her eyes jumping to Link's concerned own.

"Do you have an idea on what that may mean?" Link asked, searching her eyes. "I mean, it went from the Hero saving Hyrule to a beast fulfilling his duty…" He contorted his face, confused. "Which is...weird."

Zelda nodded, agreeing with him. Not even she knew what the beast was, but the weird tricks her mind was playing on her were confusing her even more so she said nothing of it. "Yeah." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she took an audible swallow to get rid of the nervous lump in her throat, clenching her jaw as she nodded, trying to stay steady and focused. "I-in the end...there's some Hylian. Old, I believe."

Link tilted his head, watching as Zelda turned over to the last page. "Why is that the only part with old Hylian when the rest is old Sheikah?"

Zelda shrugged, not even sure as to why herself. "We gotta ask the person who wrote this, but we'll never be able to."

She had made it to the page, pointing to where the Hylian was to maneuver Link easily to it. "There."

Link looked taken aback, confusion all over his face. "Um, that's old Hylian?"

Zelda nodded, her eyes looking at Link for any sign of reaction as he tried reading.

"Zelda...I...can't read that." Link looked over at the girl to his side, pointing at the letters printed with ink. "That's _old_ _Hylian_! No one can find a way to learn it these days, and the only reason I knew Sheikah or old Sheikah was because of Impa _being_ a Sheikah—they got rid of the system to learn those two."

"Wait. Seriously?" Zelda started to feel the blood rush to her head as she looked down, nerves running through her body as she read over the whole paragraph she read that morning. "B-but I can read it just fine! When...when I read it, it was easy! I thought us Hylians knowing old Hylian was a natural thing."

Link's eyes slightly widened. "That's where you're wrong, Zelda, no one's supposed to know how to read it. Heck, not even the historians of this day and age."

Zelda felt her heart rate quicken, horrified confusion overwriting her mood. "But…—"

Link pushed the book closer to her, scooting closer to have their knees touching as he leaned in a lot closer than needed, but he wanted to hear everything Zelda had to say. "Read it."

Zelda refrained from looking at Link, for he was too close and he was watching her intently, and she knew that. Her voice was shaky, not confident at all, but she still worked her way up to speak out.

"H-Hyrule...was saved once again. Ganon was defeated...just as expected. No matter how many battles or how long the ages are, Ganon will continue to come and settle his anguish on—" Zelda paused, taking a deep breath, calming suddenly as Link's warm hand went to rest over her shaking own—"on this land...o' Hyrule all over again."

Zelda was shaking for an unknown reason, but she wanted to tell Link all of what the paper said. Link stopped her before she could continue, his hand tightening over hers, his voice soft as he said, "Hey, you don't have to read it if it's going to give you this much an affect. I...I get what it's trying to say, Zelda."

But, said Zelda didn't back down and ignored Link, continuing on. "Blessed by the Goddesses," she read, "Zelda and her companion, Link the Hylian champion, had once again defeated the great evil and saved this land. Thus, this ends the journey with the Princess and the Hylian champion once more, another…—" Zelda bit her tongue, the next part of the sentence giving her a headache—"another...adventure...to be expected once again in a new generation."

Zelda ignored the headache she was getting, and instead grabbed the hand Link had around hers, placing it over the back of his hand to guide him over to the last words of the book with his own finger, which were Sheikah.

Link didn't need to be told anything, the words coming out of his mouth like a second nature, for the language was a more recent Sheikah writing. "Goddess Hylia will choose her next Princess someday anew, and it may not be soon, but I guarantee it will be into the body of a strong, smart, cunning mortal."

Link's heart jumped to his throat when his eyes read over the farewell marking, his eyes almost popping out of his skull. "W...with all respect and good morals…," he swallowed, sweat beading on his forehead, "Sheikah Warrior, guardian to Princess Zelda...Impa?"

Zelda's own eyes widened hearing the last of his words, watching with concern as Link started to tremble. He tightened his hand around hers, Zelda closing off the book and setting it to the side with the diary that was untouched.

Zelda put all of her attention on Link, who seemed very distraught at that moment. She pushed herself out of her comfort zone and reached her hand out to cup his cheek, having him look into her eyes and stroked the back of his hand with her other. "Hey...hey Link, it's okay. M...maybe…" She was going to say maybe it was all fake, maybe it was just one of those books that wanted to make people think and spread rumors, but she knew it wasn't. It couldn't be from where she found it.

"Zelda," Link croaked out, "this...this isn't real, right?"

 _Oh, to all the gods, he's shaking so bad._ Zelda felt vulnerable seeing Link in such a state that made him look so...fragile, small. Unsure of what to tell him, she brought him closer and met up with him to wrap her arms around him in a hug, his arms immediately moving to close around her waist.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding the back of his head to have him rested in the crook of her neck, lightly running her fingers through his hair to calm him down as best as possible.

Such a scene reminded the both of them of a mother comforting a child, except that wasn't the case. They were both confused and terrified and in need of comforting.

Link's voice was hoarse and soft as he spoke, breaking the tense air. "This...this is honestly so terrifying, Zelda." He brought her closer, closing his eyes as his words came out muffled from the side of her neck. "Where did you get this book?"

Zelda found her heart dropping by then, terrified and anxious to tell him the truth. She was afraid of answering, delaying the question and letting it hang in the air. She didn't want to break him anymore; yet, they still had another book to go through. And hundreds of others, according to the boxes back at her basement.

 _Oh goddesses,_ Zelda silently prayed, consciously digging her face in Link's hair as they hugged each other tighter to ease their worries, tears threatening to fall out of her eyes, _please tell me this is all fake. Please tell me my father was lying. Please, oh_ please _, tell me I'm_ not _the Princess of Hyrule!_

Their episode went on for a few more minutes, Link being the one to pull back after he collected himself. He took a few more deep breaths, sitting back as he looked at Zelda, who had tears that were being wiped away.

"Maybe...it was just an Impa with the same name...and...race...just like my own Impa? But...there are rarely— _rarely_ —any Sheikah's around anymore, even more with the name Impa.

There's no way she could be a descendant." Link's voice was broken. "And...maybe the whole thing about the Calamity and the Goddess and...well, _everything_ —" Link looked into Zelda's teary eyes, defeated—"it has to be fake, right?"

Zelda, still conflicted, said nothing. It was testing Link's patience.

"Okay, can you at least tell me where you found those books? It was surely in no library." Link leaned his shoulder on the back of the couch, watching Zelda with no expression as he rose a lazy eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

Zelda took a while to give him an answer, but she did it, either way. "This...is going to be a different story. It...it ties up to everything we just read and everything I had even come to you for."

Link nodded, ready for the hit, but he raised a hand up, subtly delaying the conversation. "W-wait, can I get some water first? I want to refresh myself."

Zelda nodded, glad she had some time to think about how she was going to tell Link. "Yeah," she sighed.

"I'll get you some, too." Link stood up from the couch, steadying himself before running a hand down his face as he started his drag to the mini-fridge in one of the rooms in his tree.

 _Okay, okay_. Zelda closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she thought over how she was going to tell Link everything. _I could start off with where I really live, and...and then from there I can build it up to the monarchy-_

"Here you go." Link popped out from the corner of Zelda's eye and held the water bottle out to Zelda as he moved to sit himself back down.

Zelda felt horrible—if she drank the water she'd probably throw it up, but she accepted the dink with a thanks, nonetheless

Link twisted open his cap and took a sip of the water, letting it go down his system. He was waiting patiently for Zelda to start, but she was avoiding eye contact.

"Zelda, are you nervous?" he asked. He was genuinely concerned for her at that moment, and if she was nervous then he would've been okay with her not having to say anything. He made sure she knew that when she just nodded with no confidence at all. "Zelda, if you're really nervous and can't tell me, you don't have to."

Link closed his bottle and set it aside on the ground underneath. He then reached for Zelda's hand, which had grown clammy from how anxious she was, and started to gently stroke the back of her hand, giving her the best comfort possible.

She relaxed visibly at how welcoming Link had been, but she was still slightly tense on the inside. She knew, though, that she had to tell him eventually—that was the only reason she came to him for anyway, right?

 _I just didn't expect it to be this heavy on him...or me…,_ Zelda thought. She pushed herself through her anxieties, taking a deep breath as she gave Link's hand a squeeze. "Sorry… I'll start slowly."

Link nodded softly, planning to keep holding her hand in case any other comfort was needed. So, he waited for her to start.

She did, albeit reluctantly. "U-um...so...I-I woke up this morning—" Zelda shook her head, tracking back to the night before. "Never mind, I lied—last night should be a better place to start."

Link gave her a nod to let her know he was listening, the circles he was rubbing onto the back of her hand giving her slight ease.

"Okay, so...uh...l-last night my father and I got into a... _big_ argument about me getting home late." Zelda was scared to add on, but she had to—it was too late to back away now, Link had to know everything. "Also about me even leaving the house at all."

"Wait—" Link burrowed his brow, and the circles ceased—"what do you mean by that last part?"

Zelda swallowed hard, her voice small as she said, "I...wasn't supposed to leave the house—at all."

"But, you told me-"

"Yes, I told you that my father wouldn't mind but he did. He really did. He never even knew I was going to go out, because _I_ don't get to choose when I leave—" Zelda looked away from Links eyes, already seeing slight heat in them—" _he_ does."

"Zelda, but you told me he was okay with it, and I _told_ you the last thing I wanted was you getting in _any_ kind of trouble," Link called out, his voice raised just a bit. He wasn't angry—maybe just a little—but he was moreover disappointed. Disappointed that Zelda lied to him and got in trouble for it. Big trouble.

"Yes, I _know_ I told you that, Link!" Zelda released her hand from his, waving it to emphasize her point. "But my _father_ is a lot more strict than you would think!" She stopped talking, steadying her breathing so that she could keep her voice at a balanced level and keep her mentality sane. She spoke softer. "I'm just saying, this will make more sense as to why in a little bit."

"I want to know."

Zelda contorted her face. "Huh?"

"I wanna know—" Link crossed his arms, keeping his gaze on Zelda's, intimidation radiating off of him—"right now."

Zelda was honestly glad that Link wanted to rush it because she could skip over her father wanting him to avoid meeting people and him getting worried over Link's own name; she also wished he hadn't rushed her, though. Getting the new information out will be a hassle. Either way, she still tried to get the point across. "'Kay, you know the mansion right? The one we were talking about yesterday?"

Link gave her a single nod, and despite having a little anger, he was still concerned for Zelda's well-being for she was trembling just slightly as she struggled to get her next words out.

She visibly and audibly choked on an obnoxious lump on her throat, her heart rate quickening as she couldn't seem to get her words right.

All the negative feelings Link had been feeling dissipate, concern taking over. He instinctively placed both his his hands over her own and brought himself closer to her as he held them close to his chest, trying to make a mental comforting note.

"It's okay," Link whispered, "take your time."

Zelda took her time indeed, but she then got past all her nerves and confessed, "Okay...th-the mansion…—" she closed her eyes, refusing to see the reaction on Link's face. "That's where I live. Not…not in a regular house near central park."

The deafening silence kept taunting Zelda, and when she looked up Link seemed to be immensely shocked.

No other words aside from the confused, "What?" had been let out from him. He shook his head, trying to process what Zelda had told him. There was a lot— _a lot_ —that he wanted to say, but it all crossed his mind at once that he wasn't able to word them out.

Zelda didn't say anything either, pursing her lips as she gently tugged her hand out of Link's hands, tucking them in between her thighs as she tried to calm herself down; she was ready for anything Link were to tell her.

"Are you serious?" Link's voice was soft, but despite the softness it was slightly deep, hurt etched into it.

Zelda had a difficult time speaking up. "Y—" she swallowed hard—"yes."

"I...I don't get it." Link turned his gaze from the ground to Zelda, making sure to keep his eyes firmly on her. "Why didn't you ever tell me? Even after all this time? We've…" Link shut his eyes, taking a deep breath to prevent his voice from raising. "We trust each other, don't we?"

Zelda felt her heart practically break, her voice wavering as an overwhelming amount of emotions hit her all at once. "Yes," she cracked.

"Then…why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

Zelda was afraid to look away because then she wouldn't be able to look back, but her eyes were swelling with tears and it made her feel weak. "I…"

Link looked tired, defeated, and cheated on. His voice was hoarse. "Can you please at least just explain yourself?"

Zelda nodded, quickly wanting to cover the tense aura and prove that she trusted him and that he should trust her. "First, I do trust; I-I really do, Link!" Her hand twitched to grab his own, but she felt he would've pushed her away. So, she kept them tucked. "I was just scared to tell you. My whole life my father had kept me hidden away because I told him I didn't want to be revealed—" she gave Link a desperate look, wanting to get the message out. "Link, I've seen how many people swarmed my father when I was younger every time he went outside; he never leaves as much anymore for that sole reason, others do it for him."

Link was taken aback, everything hitting him really quick. He managed to hang onto one thing, though. "Zelda, does that mean that...your dad," Link rose an eyebrow, nodding to give her a clue, "he's the...big guy that owns that place? Y'know, like...wealthy?"

Zelda nodded, ashamed to admit it. "Yes, Link, he's the richest guy here."

"A-and…you're his-"

"Yes, Link, I'm his daughter," she uttered, looking off to the side with slight annoyance. That was what she wanted to avoid; Link being with her for the wealth was a great fear of hers by then, and if that was the case...she would have to end-

"I'm sorry...I just—" Link looked away too, exasperatingly running a hand through his bangs—"I just can't believe it? You— I-I… Oh my goddesses." He shut his eyes, his slip-up almost making it through the conversation. Luckily, he had been careful before saying anything else. It lead him to turn red, which confused Zelda, but he didn't look at her. Instead, he looked at the ground as he tried to pick his heart back up.

He had almost told her, self-consciously, that since she was the daughter of the richest, that meant Link had fallen for someone who was _way_ out of his league—it would've been a confession at the wrong moment. He hadn't even planned on confessing, not anytime soon; his feelings were still not settled.

"I was just scared," she continued. Her voice interrupted his thoughts, his ears perking when she explained herself. "I was scared you'd only stay being my friend for the money and whatnot—since, y'know, we have a load of rupees back there at home."

That was when Link felt anger actually go through him. He tried his hardest to not yell out. "Zelda," he looked toward her, a glint in his eye, "you _do_ know I'm not like that, right?"

Zelda sighed frustratingly, leaning her elbows on her knees and holding her head in her hands. "Yes, I know that! I just—" she groaned and stood up, unable to keep still, and startled Link from the abruptness—"I just couldn't tell you because it had always been my biggest fear, okay? Like, I was going to tell you yesterday when we were talking about the mansion and the rumors about it because _I_ thought I was ready, but my confidence just left when you looked at me because I knew I wouldn't be ready to lose someone like you." She looked at Link directly in the eyes when he looked up into hers, interest in them. "I trust you—more than anything. You've…," Zelda looked down from his gaze, a little red joining in on her cheeks without any thought, "you've made me a lot more happier than I've ever been."

Link straightened his back, leaning against the couch as he limply rested his arms on his thighs. He wanted to say something, but Zelda spoke again, adding, "I'm not exaggerating either."

Link sighed, looking off to the side in thought. He was…a lot more than confused, he was unable to comprehend everything Zelda had just told him without any kind of question popping up in his head. He kept them to himself, though. He had only wanted to apologize to her by then. So, he did.

"Zelda...I…," Link sighed again, defeated as he looked into Zelda's green eyes, "I'm really sorry for snapping." He pushed himself up from the couch, walking to stand in front of Zelda. "I guess I just didn't understand until you told me everything."

Zelda looked into Link's eyes and held in her breath. She still had more, there was still more to tell him. That was when she hesitated greatly; everything had been calmed down, but there was still more she had to tell.

"It's okay, Link. I get why you got mad," she said. She laughed blankly and watched as his eyes searched hers, pure regret in them for his anger. "But...there's still more. And...and it's kind of really...um…" Zelda shook her head, grabbing Link's wrist to have them both sit down again on the couch, wanting to be settled for the reveal. "J-just listen, okay? You can ask questions when I finish talking, because I don't know if I can continue if I stop."

She waited for Link to nod or say something to let her know he was alright with it, which he was from the nod she had been expecting. Thus, she had started to speak out what she had come to him for.

"I'm going to make this as short as possible. This morning, I was out trying to look for my father to go and apologize to him because I felt bad for yelling at him. One of the guards from the mansion—who I used to know really well as a kid—told me where he was so I followed his directions. My father was in a basement," Zelda watched Link's expression, and he was nothing but interested, "when I found him. I didn't even know we _had_ a basement, so that's kind of saying something for what I'm gonna tell you right now." Despite saying she wasn't going to stop, she did. She had to take a breather, she was overwhelming herself all over again, and she needed to take a deep breath.

Link waited patiently, itching to hold her hand or have his arm around her for comfort but he believed she needed space—which she did.

She continued to speak, watching as Link intently listened. "I went to him, it was really dark. The staircase was... _so long_ ; I swear to the gods I was so tired going down there." Her words emitted a laugh from Link, and that made her relax a little more as she said, "I apologized to him, told him something he'd been dying to know...which was your name."

Link's expression was enough for her to clarify. She inquired, "He'd been wanting the names of everyone I had met for years, no matter if I've had a full-on conversation with them or not."

"What the heck?" Link tilted his head, brow raising as he was beyond curious as to what her father had to give him such a feat.

She explained furthermore, "Yeah. I told him, though. After a week, I told him, and since you were a friend of mines he was desperate to know since the last time I made a friend he forbade me from talking to them anymore—it's why I had to sneak out, _he_ sets the days when I leave, and I rarely even can. So I had to sneak out with the help of Lana—the sister-like friend I told you about recently." Link nodded as she kept talking. "I'm glad I did, though. And there's two reasons."

Zelda stopped for an unknown reason, and Link almost asked her what was wrong but she spoke once again before he could ask, "I...I really just wanted to spend time with you, for one." She laughed bashfully and a visible tint of pink were on her cheeks.

Link laughed slightly, a warm smile on his lips after what felt like ages. "Glad I have that effect, 'cause yesterday was really fun."

Zelda nodded, closing her eyes to think about how she was going to word her next sentence. It took her a little bit of thinking, but she ended up saying, "The second reason is that I found something out, and I know you're going to think really differently and probably freak out when I do tell."

Link nodded, ready to hear Zelda explain. He was ready to listen, but he wasn't ready for what she was going to actually tell him.

"Okay, well," she started, "first off, this ties back to the mansion. So...to put it shortly, the mansion _was_ Hyrule Castle."

Having heard that, Link felt a little bit of excitement surge within—his theory had been correct, after all—but he also had a big hit of realization hit him.

He held up a hand, his heart dropping to his chest as another thing dawned on him. "Does...does that mean you're... _apart_ of the royal bloodline?"

Zelda knew that question had been coming, but she still wasn't ready to answer it. She had to, though, she promised to herself she'd tell him all that she can. "Yes," she confirmed. "I...I am." She waited, wanting him to piece the pieces together.

It seemed he had. "A-and...your father…" Link slowly dropped his hand, his breath laboring. "King?"

Zelda simply nodded. Even _she_ was still shaken up about it to speak out loud of it. "Yes," she confirmed again. She waited for him to repeat the same thing he did before, to put together all of the pieces.

He did, apparently so, but he was breathing quite shallowly. "That means…—" Link swallowed, closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again—"you're technically...the Princess?"

Zelda grit her teeth, nodding slowly.

Link looked away from Zelda, holding his head as he pondered over what he had found out. The information was a lot more heavier than Zelda being the richest's daughter—she was a... _Princess_! Literally! That put more of a heavy weight on his shoulders, the feelings he felt for her beating him up because instead of being in love with the daughter of the richest man, he was in love with the Princess of his homeland!

 _Oh my goddesses, what is going on?!_ Link sat up straighter, shaking his head as he saw the look of concern cross over Zelda's expression. "It's okay, I'm just...surprised, I guess?" Not even Link was sure of how he was feeling. "It's not everyday I find out the person I became best friends with is apart of the royal bloodline." He sighed, resting his cheek against his palm, his elbow on the back of the couch.

Zelda felt a little sense of joy hit her when Link said they were best friends, but she pushed past it. "I'm sorry… Honestly, I just found out _today_ of who I actually am."

"Wait," Link stopped her, perking up as he leaned in closer to emphasize his words, "what do you mean?"

Zelda repeated her words, a little more louder. "Well, what I _mean_ is that my father had barely told me this morning of my ancestors and what the mansion used to be." She gestured behind her to the books. "It's where I found those books; in the basement they were just sitting there in a bunch of boxes with other books, likely regarding Hyrule and the castle, or something." She paused, her voice coming out slowly as she talked about her next experience. "I also...found a few paintings. My father had them covered, but I pulled the covers down and along the wall of the basement were portraits of...well...the Hero, the Princess, some with the both of them, some with the Princess and the King, and some with the Princess and her husband. It was...many of the incarnations."

Silence hung in the air, Link comprehending all Zelda had just told him. "Wait, so...what you're saying is that you found portraits— _real portraits—_ of the Heroes, Princesses, and Kings?"

Zelda nodded, confident in her answer. "I even saw the Hero of the Wild, and now that I know that's actually what he looked like, it's kind of freaky because you and I look just alike to the Princess and the Hero of the Wild—" She stopped abruptly, looking off to the side as she said, "Well, I guess it makes sense as to why I do, but—" she shook her head, her voice raising to a raspy tone—"it just makes no sense on why _you_ look just like the Hero of Resurrection!"

Link was just as confused as her, but he wanted to know one certain thing. "I have a question," he inquired, "were they, perhaps, _together_ in the painting?"

Zelda was curious as to why he asked such a question, but she nodded anyway.

Link puffed out a breath he had been holding in for such a long while, facing away from Zelda and placing both of his feet on the ground to rest his elbows on his knees, leaning over to stare at the ground. He recapped everything she had just told him through his head. But, he needed to hear it verbally once more.

"So…," Link drawled, "you live in the mansion."

"Yes," said Zelda.

"Positively, it used to be Hyrule Castle?" he added.

"Yes," repeated Zelda.

Link pondered over a few things, saying overall, "Basically, what you're telling me, is you're apart the Princess of Hyrule?"

"Mm-hmm," Zelda hummed.

Link was silent, nodding as he fell back to look at the ceiling in disbelief. "This is crazy."

Zelda fiddled with her hands, hesitantly asking, "Does...does this change anything?"

Link looked over to Zelda. "Aside from that fact that I've been hanging out with the Princess of Hyrule, not really."

Zelda looked shamefully off to the side "I wouldn't put it like that," she said, quietly.

The male had shrugged, looking back up to the ceiling. "Well, it's basically how it is."

Zelda went silent and nodded, as she couldn't bare to look at Link anymore, feeling shyer than ever. It was then awfully quiet, and it was killing the both of them because they didn't know what to say to shorten the silence.

Zelda wanted to hide into a hole, one away from Link. His silence was scaring her and giving her anxieties for what he could've possibly said next, maybe even do an action like leave her in the middle of the forest—she knew he wouldn't have done that, though. He wasn't that kind of person, but her insecurities at that moment were giving her the unnecessary negatives.

It wasn't until Link spoke that the silence ended after minutes. "We're going to look for the Master Sword."

Zelda sharply turned to Link, surprise on her face as she yelled out, "Are you serious?"

Link sat up and nodded, pushing himself up from the couch and dusted off his clothes. He thought back to what his aunt had said back at the house while the words came out of his mouth. "If the bloodline regarding the royals is still going on, then there really _should_ be more to these woods than just historical myths."

Zelda watched as Link reached out to hold his hand out for her, his face showing a smile for what seemed like the first time in hours when it was really minutes.

Link had then given her a show of his teeth, giving her reassurance as he said, "Let's go...Princess." Only, her name was no longer teasingly, anymore.

Zelda bit her lip as she stared at his hand, her stomach getting weird butterflies as he said her...formal name, but she reached up and grabbed it, smiling as well whilst he pulled her up. "Yeah...let's."

 **Hello ya'll :') Yeesh yet another long chapter but I know a few of you don't mind it. I probably won't update for a bit because spring break started for me and I may or may not be going to Arizona for a the week, and then once I get back to school grades are due and whatnot, so I'm going to try and improve those. Everyday, though, I try to improve my writing and try to expand my vocabulary and my sense of description for these fics. I'm still really young, I'm only 14, but I try to get all the tips for writing to go ahead and improve the most I can. ANYWAYS, lol I'm close to 100 followers :') And your guys' reviews are literally everything to me so thank you to you guys who take the time to review, but I also thank you guys who've made it this far. Not sure how long I plan to make this fanfic, but I have a LOT of other fics in mind for Zelda x Link that I'm working hard on to try and work out before I publish one after another after completion.**

 **OKAY GUYS TILL NEXT TIME**


	12. 11 - Sword

**To the guest that told me the differences between apart and a part of, I know lol. It was actually a typo, "apart" wasn't supposed to be there but I got a bit too lazy to fix it haha. I was writing most of the chapter on my phone and it sometimes leaves random words out of nowhere (auto correct, most likely). But thanks for letting me know :)**

Link kept his eyes focused on the fire lit on the top of the torch, the wind blowing it and leading the way. He made sure his hand was tightly linked with Zelda's, hesitant to keep moving.

"Ya know…if I'm going to be honest here, I'm pretty scared," Link admitted, softly. He stopped moving and made sure the fire was being blown, just in case he went too far past the limit. "I've never done this before, so what if I take a wrong step and get us lost?"

Zelda frowned hearing his words, but she held his hand tighter and moved closer to him, telling him, "It's going to be okay, Link. I'm here with you."

Fortunately, it reassured him as he started moving again. He didn't say anything back to her, but the gentle squeeze he gave her hand was enough to get the message across.

Soon, the silence that had grown between them grew eerie. Link wanted to talk about something to get rid of it, but he had no idea what to say. Luckily for them, Zelda spoke.

"I...forgot to mention something back there," she said. "My last name had always been said to be Bosphoramus, like my father's, but instead it's actually Hyrule. So, I guess, that's more proof as to me being a relative of the previous royal family."

Link didn't know what to say, he was still a little shaken up after hearing she was even related to a Princess. But, he laughed disbelievingly and shook his head, joking when he uttered, "May as well start wearing dresses and actually be referred to as Princess Zelda."

That cracked a smile and a small laugh out of Zelda, and it made him proud of his ability to make the situation light.

Minutes passed, and still no sign of any entrance. Link, himself, was starting to get overwhelmed and was in denial by then. He was considering giving up when he looked to Zelda, all movement ceased. "I don't think we should go any further, Zelda. What if there's _nothing_ out there? And what if...what if the sword was all a myth?"

Zelda contorted her face, beyond confused. "What do you mean?"

"What if…" Link sighed, speaking calmly. "What if the Master Sword doesn't even exist anymore, is what I'm trying to say here." He looked ahead of him, glancing at the crackling fire. "Think about it—it's been _centuries_ since it had last been recorded or mentioned. Like, yes, historians are still out there trying to find it, but what if it just _isn't_ located in the Lost Woods any longer?"

When Link turned back to look at Zelda, he wasn't surprised when he saw her slightly aggravated.

"Come on, Link," she pressed. "We've made it this far! Let's just give it a few more minutes, okay?" Zelda frowned, tugging on Link's hand. "If there's nothing within the next ten minutes, then we can stop."

A sigh came out of Link, and despite his urge to give up, he took Zelda's words into mind. "Okay, let's keep going," he finalized.

The smile on Zelda's face made him glad of the decision he made, but he just gave her a smile in return and followed the direction of the smoke.

Even though Link decided to keep going, he was still slightly terrified. He was still unsure of what would've _actually_ happened to them if they got lost or he took a wrong step or went the wrong direction—Skull Kid would've been the outcome, right? He wasn't positive, but he feared that might've been it.

Zelda, on the other hand, had seemed eager. But despite that, even _she_ was scared. Having heard that Link was scared, though, made her go from scared to horrified, because Link really had never done anything as drastic as what they were doing at that moment.

Basically, what they were doing was risky.

But, it wasn't until Link spotted an area a few feet away that consisted of a trail leading to a brightened area that he was excited to say he found something. He tugged on Zelda's hand and made way to the bright area with rushed movement.

"Did you find it?" Zelda asked, trying to catch up with Link's speed.

Link shrugged, unsure. "I dunno, but it's something that stands out. So, maybe?" He followed the trail, and when the area became more clear he blew out the torch and set it aside near a tree, cautiously walking to a pedestal in the middle of the circle of trees.

He walked up the stairs, Zelda close to his side, and furrowed his brow seeing an object stick out of the ground he was standing on.

Zelda was the first to think. "Is...is that it?"

Link, too in awe to actually think, stopped at the top of the steps. "I believe it is…" He turned to Zelda, biting his lip as he gave her an excited grin. "Shall we go see it?"

The girl at his side nodded with no hesitation, and the two walked closer to what they believed was the Master Sword itself, but something else had caught her eye.

"Wait!" she called out. She ran past the sword, forgetting Link was holding her hand so she dragged him along, and jumped off the pedestal as she fell to her knees in front of a flower, taking Link down with her.

"Link," she exclaimed as she looked to her friend that was kneeling beside her, their hands apart so that she could lightly touch the plant. "This is a _Silent Princess_!" She laughed excitedly, her fingers gently caressing the plant's light-blue petals. "No one's ever been able to find these because they either went extinct or were hidden in an area no one's able to explore or discover." She was grinning as she turned back to Link, her excitement unconcealed. "It's said that these particular flowers were one of Princess Zelda's favorites from centuries ago. I don't blame her, either." She turned back to the flower, smiling warmly. "They're so beautiful—for being here for over five centuries with no one to water them, they look really health-"

A crispy, rumbling laugh stopped Zelda from talking altogether, both of their hearts dropping in fear as Link picked her up from the ground, dragging her back to the pedestal and holding her close.

"Hello?" Link called out. His eyes were searching for the owner of the loud voice.

But, he didn't have to look any further, because the thing that laughed started to speak, and the direction of the sound caused Link and Zelda to slowly look in front of them, their heads rotating upward to see its full appearance.

It was a tree, and its wooden...face...started to crack into a smile. "Long time no see," it said.

Both teens were too scared to say anything, and Link subtly tugged Zelda behind him to protectively stand in front of her.

Link was the one who spoke up. "You're...you're talking? A tree?"

The tree's wooden features crinkled more.

Zelda felt chills run down her spine while Link had a heavy hit of realization dawn on him.

"Wait a minute," he exclaimed, "you're the Deku Tree!"

Zelda's eyes widened after Link yelled out and looked at the tree more observingly. She wrapped her arm around Link's arm, feeling slightly intimidated. "Are you sure?"

Link nodded, a grin on his face as he started to utter reasons. "It has to be! It was said that the Great Deku Tree watched over the sword centuries ago as it waited for the Hero's return. And that _thing_ ," Link looked at the object that stuck out of the pedestal, " _has_ to be the Master Sword!" He looked at Zelda and smiled, his excitement uncontained. "I never knew the tree was able to talk, though!" He looked, excitingly, up to the Deku tree, smiling as he saw the smile on the tree itself. "I never even knew you were alive!"

Zelda didn't know what to say in response to what Link had said, she only listened and stared at the tree that hadn't stopped smiling even when Link finished talking.

She was hung onto one thing the tree had said the first time they made it there, though, and repeated it to bring it back out. "Mister Tree, why did you say 'long time no see' to us when we've only met you _just now_?"

The Deku Tree laughed and what he said next had made Zelda's heart drop. "Well, I know who you are, Zelda. You're the reincarnation of Princess Zelda herself, but I'm sure you've figured that out on your own." The tree turned whatever gaze he had to Link, a grin growing on his features. "And you, Link, still have yet to find out about your past."

Link frowned and tilted his head. "My past— What?"

Zelda budged in, curious. "How do you know about us?"

The tree laughed, having chills run down both Zelda and Link's backs. "I'm the Great Deku Tree, as you guys call me. I was born into this world knowing who the chosen ones are no matter what age or generation it is."

Both Zelda and Link said, "Chosen ones?" They turned to each other, laughing slightly when they realized they spoken at the same time, but the tree broke the amusement between the two.

"I refuse to say any more until Link, here, is aware of his past. But, I will say this one thing: the familiarity of your guys' appearance really makes me happy," the tree said.

Zelda, tilting her head, asked, "Why is that?"

The Deku Tree laughed. "I'm sure you guys are aware, but you look eerily similar to the Princess and the Champion I had last seen centuries ago."

Link and Zelda both looked at each other, but Link looked back to the tree just as quickly. "Excuse me, what do you mean when you say I have yet to know about my past? It can't be tied to the Heroes long ago, can it?"

The tree didn't say anything, but he instead merely cracked that smile once again. "The sword will tell you."

Link inhaled a deep breath, his muscles tensing underneath Zelda's grasp. Everything the tree was telling them had made Link's heart race, but he contained himself and kept himself as calm as possible to look brave.

He felt Zelda release his arm and walk over to the sword that was sticking out of the pedestal. He turned to see her gently running her fingertips over the butt of the sword, her touch so gentle it almost looked like a feather.

She was saying, looking at the sword itself, "Does that mean Link has to try and pull this out?"

"Yes," boomed the tree, watching as the two teenagers surrounded the sword.

Zelda moved her eyes from the sword to Link, watching as he clenched and unclenched his hands while he eyed the sword. He moved his eyes up to Zelda, giving her a small smile as he spoke to the tree, eyes on her. "Isn't the chosen one only able to do such a task?"

"Yes," the Deku Tree said, "and I can't tell you whether or not you'll be able to successfully pull out the Master Sword." He watched as Link gently excused Zelda so that he was the one in front of the sword, his hands moving to grab the hilt. "But, be cautious, son."

Link froze his hands over the hilt, looking at the tree. "Why?"

"I don't know if you've heard or not, but if you are indeed _not_ the chosen one, or not strong enough, you'll suffer from heavy injuries. Maybe even death—"

That was where Zelda cut in and brought Link's hands away from the sword, putting herself in between Link and the sword. "Link, I don't think you should do this; it's risky."

Link saw the panic in Zelda's eyes, and he smiled warmly as he placed his hand over hers, which was holding his arm. "Zelda," he mumbled, "I can do this."

Zelda was scared for his life, though. "Link, I know I've only known you for about a week, but I'm scared you won't be able to do this and likely lose your life." She had slight tears build up in her eyes, which she cursed herself for in the end. "I...I don't want you to die."

Link felt his heart break seeing Zelda in such a state of worry, especially for him, so he pulled her in and enveloped her in a hug. He rested his chin on her shoulder, feeling her hands place themselves on his back as she returned the hug. He was just as scared as she was, but he was willing to take a risk if it truly meant to find out about his past. And to get a legendary sword, too? Even cooler.

He felt Zelda quiver in his arms, but he soothed her down the best to his abilities by gently rubbing her back with his hands. He said, quietly, "I'll be okay. I know it's risky, but it's a risk I'm willing to take."

Nothing was said after that, and he held her in his arms and she held him, as well, for a few more seconds, the Deku Tree being respectful of their moment needed.

Zelda was the one to release the hug, the tears in her eyes making Link's own heart break.

"Be careful," she said, moving out of Link's way. She smiled, and Link had to hold himself back from wiping the tear that slipped out of her eye when she muttered, "I believe you can do it."

Link—instead of giving her a verbal answer—gave her a small smile and averted his eyes from hers. He walked closer to the sword, planting his feet down on the ground so that they were lined up with his shoulders and looked up to the tree. The smile on the Deku Tree was slightly reassuring, but it was also a little taunting

He shifted his gaze from the tree as well, focusing on the sword itself. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he shakily brought up his hands.

 _I can do this_ , he told himself. He tried to give himself as much courage as possible; he had made it as far as to be hovering his hands over the handle, so he couldn't back away then.

 _It's all or nothing, Link,_ he thought to himself, bringing his hands down in a clutch as he tightened his hands around the sword's hilt, attempting to pull it out. The pain that surged within from trying to remove the sword from the pedestal surprised him, so he let out a slight cry.

Zelda, watching Link very carefully, almost reached to stop him but the tree spoke with haste, halting her movements.

"Leave him be," he said, "the pain is supposed to be there, but if you stop him in the midst of him pulling it out then he'll be in severe pain; it's best to have him feel the pain now and feel nothing afterward than to have him stop abruptly and feel the pain for long periods of time."

Zelda hated having to hear Link grunting from the pain, but she watched with a hurting chest and wide eyes as he was slowly sliding the sword out of its pedestal.

Link felt a rush of blood rise to his head, and he was so close to fainting, but he pushed himself to the max so that he was able to get through it all.

Suddenly, images flashed through his head. It all went through so quick he almost missed it, but he hung onto the ones that stuck out to him the most: a physical fight between a big malice, a man-pig, and a demon king; all through flashes of imagery—a beautiful woman, too. It took him a moment, but he had then realized it was the Princess from centuries ago and the other Princesses from ages past. It was then that the pain was coming to an end when many versions of the Hero—kids, adults—were seen, all of them pulling out a sword from a pedestal, just like he realized he had done once he opened his eyes and saw the sword in his shaky hands.

Zelda laughed in excitement, and unable to contain her utmost joy—her utmost relief—of Link surviving, she jumped him with a tight hug around the neck.

Link, despite having a large headache from the visual images he had gotten, laughed breathlessly as he slowly hugged Zelda back.

"You did it!" she called out, obvious mirth to her voice. She had her arms wrapped around his neck a little longer, his own arms around her waist as he used all of his willpower to not drop the sword— _the_ Master Sword! He was beyond surprised when he was aware he had done the task only a strong, courageous person could do—only something the chosen one could do.

"I...I did," he uttered, breathlessly, his hands still shaking as he tried to comprehend what had happened. But, once it actually hit him, he had a tight grip on the sword as he moved the sharp end away from Zelda, hugging her tightly and practically picking her off the ground as he squeezed her from enthusiasm. "I did it!" he repeated, excited.

Zelda laughed and held on to make sure he didn't drop her, removing her arms from his neck and taking a few steps back away once he set her down—the grin on his face made her heart swell.

The Deku Tree interrupted their small moment of celebration. He said, "Well done, boy. Now, you see?" The tree's wooden features crinkled, a smile on the enormous plant. "I knew you could do it—how did it feel?"

Link felt Zelda's eyes on his when he walked up to stand beside her as he looked at the tree, the curiosity radiating off of her. He looked down at the sword in his hand, holding it up to place the fuller flat on his palm while the other hand held the handle.

How did he feel? That was something he was unsure of—pain, for sure, but other than that he didn't feel anything else. Maybe, he should talk about what he _saw_.

"Well," he started, placing his hand down to hold the handle in his dominant hand, "I felt...pain." He moved his eyes up to the Deku Tree, aware of the concern in Zelda. "But...I was fine, otherwise. B-but, I...I saw something."

"Oh?" The tree was then smiling once again, having known what would happen. "What did you see?"

Link licked his lips, frowning as he tried to recall all that he could. "Um...well, I saw images—or memories? I don't know, but they were something and it just had to do with the Heroes and whatnot." Link had his eyes wide, still shaken up from what he witnessed. "A-and they were seen pulling out the Master Sword countless of times—the weird thing is that...that it felt so...familiar."

Zelda's eyes were on the side of his face, and he glanced over to her with a smile. "But I also had seen the Princesses from ages past." He started to give Zelda a warm smile, his voice soft. "They were all really beautiful."

That made Zelda blush just slightly, and he couldn't help but laugh just a little himself. He turned back to the tree, placing the tip of the sword on the stoned ground as he had his hands rested over the other on the butt of the sword, a familiar position he'd always done—no matter what—with a sword. He was then finding himself asking, "But why would I get those? Are they memories from the chosen ones who'd pulled the sword out? In other words, the Heroes?"

The Deku Tree didn't say anything to Link, giving him silence that was irking him. But, he did say one thing: "I cannot tell you yet."

Link almost threw his hands in the air. "Oh, come on! Why not?" He sighed, putting more weight on one leg. "I've...I've pulled out the sword, haven't I?" A frown grew on his face.

Zelda butted in, siding with Link. "He's right, Deku Tree. He did pull it out, and you said once he does that the sword will tell him something but it didn't, apparently so." She pouted slightly, looking at Link, who had looked tired of being left in the dark. "Can you please tell us what it is about his past? Is he the chosen one?"

If the tree had a head, it would have been shaken. "Not just yet, Zelda. But, I will tell you this: Link will receive more images or scenes—continuations. It'll be at random, so I cannot say how he can gain them, if you're wondering."

Link sighed, running a hand through his hair and met the edge of his rubber band. He felt Zelda place her hand on his back, giving him slow, comforting circles. He gave her a small smile and turned back to the tree, unsure of what to say.

He had just gotten the Master Sword, and the old tree wouldn't give him the answers he'd been wanting; how could he gain more images—or memories from the Heroes, most likely—without damaging himself?

"Thank you, Great Deku Tree."

Link turned his head to look at Zelda, her soft touch torn away from his body. He tilted his head.

"What for, my dear?" the tree asked.

 _What for, indeed_ , Link thought, slightly bitter for he was still on edge about the tree hiding some things.

Zelda responded, her hands clasped in front of her. "Well...for this. For not throwing us out. For—I suppose—helping us out, in some way."

The tree gave her the most genuine smile possible. "Come back once Link is all caught up. That way, I can help you both more."

Link frowned, standing straight as he tested the sword in his left hand, careful about Zelda, muttering, "Yeah, thank you." He stopped moving, looking back up to the tree, asking once more, "When will I get the rest of whatever I'm getting? All of it, I mean. When will it end?"

The tree merely said, "It all depends on you, my boy."

Link sighed again, nodding as he tried to smile politely to the large tree in front of them. "Okay, then. Like Zelda said, thank you, Great Deku Tree."

The Deku Tree smiled. "My pleasure. Come back, remember that."

Both Zelda and Link nodded in response, Link turning to Zelda with a smile as he turned around, walking toward the entrance of the Master Sword's home. He stopped there, turning back to watch as Zelda simply stood there on the pedestal, looking intently at the hole the sword was sheathed in.

"Is something the matter?" the tree asked, confused as to why Zelda was standing for no reason.

Link, too, was confused, but he waited at the entrance and looked at Zelda as she brought her eyes up at the tree abruptly, as if she was awaken from something. She was saying, "N-nothing, it's quite alright." He saw a smile on her face, the words, "Till next time, Deku Tree," uttering out of her mouth as she bounded off the steps of the pedestal.

She made it up to Link, smiling whilst he returned the expression. He grabbed her hand with his right, already having missed the feeling of her own hand in his.

He flicked an eyebrow up, inquiring, "Shall we go back to our tree?"

Unknown to Link, calling the tree _theirs_ made her heart skip a beat, and a little red to taint her cheeks. Nonetheless, she let her friend lead the way. "Yes, we shall."

* * *

"So, uh…" Link tugged on Zelda's hand to bring her attention to him, stopping once he found a safe area to stand on within the woods. He was a lot more comfortable going out and about without the torch, but he knew the torch that was in Zelda's free hand would be needed again one day. "When we get to the tree, would you mind telling me why you were spaced out before we left?"

Zelda sighed through her nose, nodding—albeit, she was reluctant. "Sure. Um...there's also another thing I need to show you, though. But...that can wait for another day, there's too much going on already," she said, referring to the diary made by Princess Zelda.

Link opened his mouth, just slightly, to say something, but he couldn't get it out so he just replaced it with a small smile and nodded. He turned back to the smog, looking around to find the way back.

Zelda eyed the sword in his hand, squinting her eyes as another thought came to her head when they started moving again. "Link, what are you gonna do about the sword?"

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

Zelda changed her question. "I mean, where are you going to leave it? Surely, we cannot bring it with us. It's literally a legendary sword, something Heroes from back then had once had in their own hands. I doubt anyone would give you slack for a sword being in your hand, period."

Link seemed to have blanked out, Zelda's words seeping into his mind. "U-uh...maybe...we can leave it in the tree? I mean, it seems to be the safest place."

Zelda had a feeling that was what Link was going to say. "But," she started, "what if someone finds out a way to get there unexpectedly? I know it's a place only _you_ can maneuver through, but what if one day that isn't the case and someone finds it?"

Link was stuck there, the realization of Zelda's words hitting him like a brick. "Shit- I mean—" He grimaced, the first thing coming to mind slipping past his mouth. "Sorry. I-I didn't mean to say that out loud, I don't know how you feel about bad words so I never—"

Zelda laughed, the air lightening. "Don't worry, I understand. I don't mind them, just so you know. I don't say them much myself, but I'm not stopping you."

After finishing her sentence, Link found the entrance to his little home and smiled. He stopped once he entered the safety of it and turned to Zelda, his smile directing toward her. "Thank you, I suppose. But, I'm thinking maybe we could...I dunno, bury it?

Zelda thought to herself for a moment, watching as Link lightly stroked the back of her hand unintentionally. Even though the feeling made butterflies form in her stomach, she pushed past it and said, "Yeah, we could do that."

Link grinned, nodding to both himself and Zelda as he asked, "Where should we dig it?"

Zelda gave him her answer. "I believe we should dig it somewhere that's not near the tree; somewhere not obvious."

"M-kay, that works." Link tugged her over to the tree, telling her to set the torch down—which she had done—before leading her over to an area where there was a small flock of flowers next to the root of a regular tree. It was only a few feet away from the hangout. "Here," he said.

Zelda looked at Link before looking down at the flowers, tilting her head. "How are we going to dig it up, first of all?"

Link's eyes perked open, holding the sword out to Zelda and having her jump back a little from the push of it. "Wh-"

Link smiled kindly, pushing the handle toward her direction a little more. "Hold this real quick, I'm gonna go check for a shovel in the tree. I used to like digging holes, and this was somewhere I used to always dig. I stopped, hence the flowers." He chuckled, letting go of the sword once Zelda hesitantly grabbed it herself.

"Alright then, I-I'll watch over it while you go find it," Zelda said, smiling as she watched Link jog away to the tree where all her belongings were in.

She was tempted to show him the diary—very—but she wanted to wait. They did have a lot on their plate, indeed, and the diary would likely add more...especially with it being about the Princess' personal life and her experience meeting the Hero Link and whatnot; she needed her own Link to comprehend and get more of his own...memories, she supposed.

Zelda was slightly confused, though, as she felt the weight of the Master Sword in her hand. If the sword was meant to seal the darkness, what did that mean for Link since he was the new holder?

Speaking of Link, he came jogging back out of the tree with an old shovel in his hand. He made it over to her and smiled, raising the shovel to show it to her. "Found it," he said.

Zelda smiled herself, watching as Link turned to the flowers and almost dug straight into the dirt and harming the plants—Zelda stopped him, of course.

"Wait," she called out, holding her hand out in front of him before he made impact with the ground.

Link stopped his movements and turned to Zelda, softly placing the tip of the shovel on the ground away from the flowers. He tilted his head.

"Um...you'll hurt the flowers like that. Here—" Zelda held the sword out for Link to take, being careful to not drop it as she took the shovel from his hand—"I'll do it."

Link stepped to the side to let Zelda shovel the ground in her own way, avoiding any harm to the plants. He felt a soft smile grow on his face, and despite the two having different personalities with their way of nature he still found his heart racing slightly as he thought about how much fondness he had for the girl in front of him.

 _She's very...delicate, in a way,_ he said to himself, watching as Zelda made her way around the flowers, setting them aside with the dirt in the shovel once she got all that she could have.

"Was there no other area _without_ flowers, Link?" Zelda fussed, a slight edge to the tone of her voice that Link almost missed when she tended the flowers with her hands.

Link simply shrugged in response, even though Zelda wasn't facing him. He looked around, searching for a lonesome tree. "Not really; it'd give it more a natural look, y'know?"

He heard Zelda sigh when he went to a tree that was slightly past the one Zelda was digging through. "I suppose," she muttered, digging a wider whole.

He lightly smirked, glancing back at her as she worked before turning back to the tree that looked dead on its branches. "I'm gonna test the sword out."

Zelda stopped her work, her foot on the edge of the shovel scoop for she was going to push it in. "What? Link, be careful, that's a sacred sword."

Link shrugged again, his curiosity getting the best of him. He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "I mean, it's a sacred sword, right? One that the Heroes of many legends once used. It has to be strong, doesn't it?"

Zelda immediately had a retort, thus she deadpanned, "Yes, Link, but we don't even know what the sword is for."

"It's a sword that seals the darkness, for sure—" he turned back to the tree and made sure the sword was gripped securely in his left hand before spreading his legs to plant them firmly on the ground, holding the sword across his chest—"but I believe it can also cut trees!"

Link let his arm push through and let the edge cut through the tree. He stepped back from the strong slice he had given the tree, the sword cutting through it like butter to him. His mouth was agape when he saw how deep the gash was—it almost cut through the entire tree.

The first thing that was heard ever since was Zelda's own surprised voice—"Link!" But, despite how surprised she was, it also sounded like a scolding a mother would do to their son.

Link sucked air through his teeth, inching away from the tree as if a big step would cause it to tip over. He regretted what he did—he was grimacing, badly—but he also didn't, because he had _actually_ used the legendary Master Sword! Inside, he was insanely stoked. Outside, he was anxiously and carefully walking back to Zelda as he eyed the tree to make sure it showed no signs of moving.

 _At least it wasn't very big_ , he thought. _That's the good part._ He turned around, slowly, once he made sure the tree was okay on staying put and was met face-to-face with a wide eyed Zelda.

His first instinct was to laugh at how shocked she was, but that didn't happen when Zelda stepped back a little to put space between them as she said, "You have to be more careful, Link. That sword is literally a god all on its own."

She returned to digging up the hole—when Link looked down it had already looked like it was okay for the sword, but Zelda didn't seem to think so—and Link smiled when he saw the small smile on her own face.

He crouched down, placing the sword next to the flowers that were carefully placed aside on the dry specks of grass. His eyes looked up to Zelda's face, laughing when he saw her forehead was slightly smeared with a trail of dirt.

Zelda flicked her eyes over to his face for a split second before she wiped her forehead again with the back of her hand, stepping on the edge of the scoop to have it in the first layer of the dirt. She rested her hands on the tip of the grip for the shovel and rested her cheek on it, eyeing Link. He was looking up at her with a smile on his face. "What is it?" she asked.

Link grinned, gesturing to his face as he nodded his head toward hers. "You have dirt on your forehead."

Zelda sighed, removing her touch from the shovel and used her forearm to try and wipe it off. "No wonder I feel a little dirty." She watched Link stand up and raised her eyebrows. "There?"

He smiled, a chuckle wanting to jump out of his throat. He cleared his throat and stood up to walk closer to Zelda, using his thumb to wipe off the dirt. His thumb stayed on her face though, trailing down to her cheek as he ended up cupping the side of her jaw. He brought her face up to look into her eyes, raising a brow as he said, "I just remembered—care to tell me about what happened before we left the Deku Tree?"

Zelda was blushing from the proximity, hating that Link didn't have shame in giving her butterflies or being overly touchy at times—it always made her feel some type of way, no matter what. She sighed in her head. _For such a nervous guy around girls, he can be very affectionate._ She swallowed hard, attempting to let the words come out but it was difficult at that moment.

Link made sure he was as far from her face as possible with his own, or else the urge to do something he'd regret would come along.

Zelda waited for Link to remove his hand, but he was persistent and waited for her to speak before he would move his hand. She sighed and reached her hand up to place it over Link's, cupping her own jaw with his. "I...I saw something, I guess. It was kind of...like a memory from long ago. I don't know if it's because I'm some kind of Princess and should know of my ancestors, but it was a vivid memory of my former self returning the sword back to the tree for safekeeping." Zelda watched Link's irises, watching as he nodded to get her to continue.

She stepped a little closer, squeezing his hand and bringing it off her face. She grabbed his hand with both of her own, being gentle as she toyed with his hand and relished the feeling of being able to touch his soft, calloused skin. "I wasn't really able to hear anything for it being hazy, but the Deku Tree and Princess Zelda were talking about something. And _right_ when it was becoming clear," Zelda ended up slipping her fingers through his, "the Great Deku Tree we were talking to interrupted."

Zelda looked up, gazing into Link's colored eyes again. "I...was unaware of what that memory entirely meant. Just...the sword and the safety of it—even though I didn't hear anything, I was able to just get that part into my mind somehow."

Link kept his eyes on Zelda's, his lips pursed as he nodded after hearing her experience back at the Deku Tree's home. He didn't say anything other than look down at their hands, giving it a squeeze before inhaling a breath and setting it free. "I've...been wondering about this—ever since I laid hands on the sword," he mumbled. He licked his lips before he looked back up to Zelda and faced her in the eyes, saying, "If... _I_ grabbed the sword and pulled it out, what does that mean for me? And for...whatever is said to happen in the books?"

Zelda watched Link as he looked over his shoulder slightly to give a temporary glance at the sword that laid on the ground, looking like nothing other than a sword with a few designs.

Link continued, sandwiching Zelda's hand to grab her full attention. "It's a legendary sword that has a purpose in this life, isn't it? If it is pulled out by someone who is—I guess—capable, then surely there's a reason behind it—" Link's hand started to slightly tighten around her own—"right?"

The look in Link's eyes made Zelda unsure of how to answer his question—and, if anything, she didn't know exactly how to answer it, anyway. She placed her hand over Link's and stroked the back of his hand, which was cupping their interlocked ones. He relaxed, slightly.

"I'm not too sure, Link." Zelda made sure she had his full attention. "Later—someday—we could do some research about it. I doubt you'll want to ask your aunt, and I sure as bloody hell would _not_ like to ask my father, so we will do our research and hope all is well. _Maybe_ ," Zelda raised an eyebrow, "if a certain _someone_ gets their visions, or whatever you'd like to call them, in place and completed, then we _could_ ask a certain tree about this whole fiasco."

Link felt called out, but he didn't blame Zelda. Instead of feeling threatened and pressured, he laughed and grabbed Zelda's other hand with his fee one, simply holding it. "Well, excuse me, Princess, for I am not able to force my visions through so nonchalantly."

Zelda laughed herself, glad the tension was washed away. She looked behind Link and eyed the sword, turning back to him, afterward. "Should we bury it now, Sir Link?"

Link felt the smile on his face grow. "Yes, your highness."

Link and Zelda both released each other from themselves and walked to the sword. Link crouched down and grabbed it by the handle, hovering it over the hole Zelda took her time to dig without harming any plant life.

He studied the design and its color, memorising it and angling it in certain ways before he carefully placed it in the lengthy spot in the ground. Zelda crouched down by then, helping him push the dirt back into its original place. She was the one who put the dirt with the flowers atop, messily completing the safe haven for the Master Sword.

"See?" Zelda exclaimed, her mouth twitching upward as she looked at Link and gestured to the flowers while she stood up. "No flowers were harmed; our mission is complete."

Link let out a laugh while he stood up, as well. He was careful about not stepping on the flowers and walked up to Zelda, placing his hands on his hips. "All thanks to you. Hey, now that we're all done with the sword and whatnot, what do you wanna do? I mean...I...still find it cool how I _have_ a legendary sword, _but_ I still have no idea _why_ I have it." He smiled, tilting his head as he crossed his arms. "Shall we head inside the tree and figure it out through the internet?"

Hearing what Link said in the end made Zelda almost roll her eyes with amusement, but she laughed it off and shrugged, turning around to walk toward their little home. "Sure," she concurred.

Link grinned and followed after her, playfully poking her side as he caught up with her and making her yelp with a laugh before she poked him back, emitting the same sound from him.

But, as they walked over to the tree, their laughter and chit chat filled over the air and blocked out the sound that came from the ground where the sword was hidden.

 **Pretty short, but it felt better to leave it like that for the ending of this chapter. I'm really proud of this one actually :') I actually went back to edit and make sure it wasn't full of typos this time sksksk. AnYWAY I hope this chapter was good, and your guys' support makes me all :'''')))**

 **okay anyway bye bye till next time**


	13. 12 - Confession

When they went into the tree to use Link's phone for research, he had remembered he had no service once they stepped foot in the hangout. Zelda laughed at him for that, but he laughed as well, so all was well.

So, instead of searching up the Master Sword and its origin, Zelda asked if Link could set up her own phone. With no problem whatsoever, Link did so. He mentioned he added a sim card and everything in it—paid for her data, as well—so she was all set. She believed he didn't have to do _all_ of that, but she still gave him a tight hug and thanked him for it all. But, no matter how much she pressed the subject, he had refused to tell her how much it cost him.

But, that was all back at the tree. A few hours later they were wandering around Lake Hylia.

When they left the woods the sun was setting, so Link had been suggesting Zelda ought to have gone home, but she kept making excuses as to not and delaying it.

Even then, two hours later, did she still deny it.

"Zelda, it's already past eight." Link frowned and stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

He was seated on the grass near Lake Hylia, enjoying the view of the white crescent moon reflecting off the water. Zelda was beside him while she laid on her back, looking at the sky and the stars that were scattered all over, the moon bright.

Zelda ignored Link, having heard what he said but not responding to it as she tried to find a constellation.

Link sighed knowing Zelda wasn't going to answer him, so he looked ahead of him and wrapped his arms around his shins, resting his chin on his knees. He didn't mind being with her, especially when he _enjoyed_ hanging with her, but he was afraid of her father doing something. Especially after everything he had found out.

"Hey," said Zelda. Link turned his head back to look at her, looking up as she pointed to somewhere in the sky. "I found a constellation that looks like the Triforce… Somewhat."

Link laid down himself, lining himself up with her height so that their heads were touching and looked where she was looking, trying to spot the constellation. "Where?" he asked.

Zelda grabbed his arm, moving her hand up to hold his hand and point his finger up to her and Link's eye level. "Right…," she found it, "there."

Link closed one eye to try and look for it easily, and when he did he slightly smiled. "Oh, yeah, I see it. That's kinda cool."

Zelda turned her head to look at his side profile, smiling herself. "I like stars, and the night sky."

Link turned his head, slightly taken aback from how...close their faces were. They both didn't do anything about it, though. They just spoke in soft voices, not flustered and just enjoying their time together. "Yeah?" inquired Link.

Inside, though, Link was freaking out about how close they were and Zelda was feeling her heart rate increase.

Zelda nodded slightly, being careful about their noses. She hummed a yes and her face started tainting red when she felt Link slowly drop their hands as he shifted them to intertwine their fingers together.

If someone had passed by the lake and saw the two, they'd seem like to kids in love.

But, that wasn't the case.

The two just stared into each other's eyes, admiring the other's colored irises as the crickets made their sounds and the cool wisp of air passed by them.

When Zelda spoke, her voice was so soft—so quiet—that even with their close proximity Link almost didn't hear her. "I just…always found it fascinating how those little fireballs up there in the sky can make their own art." She smiled, and Link found himself unconsciously reciprocating the action. "And the moon…," she continued, "there's so many variations."

Link heard all of what Zelda was saying, but her voice, her gaze, her hand securely in his in the most comforting way possible had made it hard to stop himself from just wanting to hold her under the night sky.

He knew he couldn't, he knew he shouldn't. But, by that point, just...experiencing the things he had never believed were possible—being best friends with a high-class girl, having held the Master Sword, meeting the Great Deku Tree that was alive and well after all those years, all with her… Link wasn't ashamed to say he was madly in love with Zelda.

He couldn't do anything, though. Staring into her eyes, being her best friend, holding her hand at almost every moment he got...he always found it hard to believe she was born into the family of Rhoam Bosphoramus, the richest man alive.

Sometimes—all the time—he had to remind himself he couldn't place his lips upon hers and love her the way he wanted to, _be_ more than just friends. If he did any wrong move, or any move past their hugs and hand holding, it could all go crashing down. He didn't want to relive what happened between Mipha and him. Sometimes, he still even _missed_ the Zora...but...he knew what the consequences were when he first told her his feelings.

Sometimes, he always had to remind himself that he and Zelda had met only a week before. He felt like he'd know her ever since he was a little boy. He felt like he'd known her for _years_. He felt like he'd known her for as long as the Princess had met the Hero. For as long as the battle within Hyrule began.

He felt like he was looking at a Princess. Not Zelda. Not his Zelda. _Princess_ Zelda; dressed in royal attire, blonde hair just as golden as the finest gold. Many woman filled in his Zelda's space, making him so woozy—

"Y'know, Link—"

Link snapped awake, his eyes moving back up to Zelda's eyes. He inhaled a breath, nodding gently as to not hit her head harshly. "Yes?"

Zelda laughed gently—a sound he could hear on repeat for years—and said, "I was going to say it's really nice out here, and I could honestly sleep here if I wanted to, but you seem to already be doing that."

Link blinked a few times, trying to make sure he was awake before giving her a sheepish smile. _Oh, to all the gods, I love her so much._ He felt Zelda move their hands to rest them on her stomach, gently holding it tighter.

She turned her body to lay on her side, their foreheads almost touching as their hands fell in between them.

Link turned himself, facing her more comfortably as he switched their hands. He wanted to stay with her for the rest of the night, but he knew she had a home she had to get to. If anything, he-

"Link." Zelda looked into his eyes, and she made his heart skip a beat when she closed her eyes and placed her forehead on his. He closed his own eyes, happy but yet very bashful.

He heard her swallow a lump in her throat, felt her clench her teeth as she tried holding in a certain feeling when she managed to croak out, "Link, I don't want to go home. Not today." Her voice softened. "Not after what happened between me and Father."

Link wasn't surprised to hear that, but it made more sense on why she was avoiding his suggestion on going home. He should've known.

"Zelda," he said, "you _need_ to get home, though. Your dad will worry-"

She interrupted him, her voice firm. "But I don't _want_ to, Link." She pulled her forehead away from Link's, causing the both of them to open their eyes. She licked her lips, swallowing another lump as she brought their hands up just in between their chests, muttering a few words that made Link's heart race even more. "I...I want to stay with you, for now."

Link didn't say anything, letting Zelda's words sink into him before he numbly nodded while unintentionally stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He nodded again. "Okay," he rasped.

"Okay," repeated Zelda.

Despite that, neither of them moved.

 _Oh my gods, if we don't move now I'm scared something's going to happen and I don't want anything to be risked._ Link tried his best, but he pulled himself away from Zelda.

Or, at least he thought he did.

 _This isn't what friends do, right?_ Zelda opened her mouth a little, wanting to say something but completely unsure what to say. _Friends…don't just have the urge to kiss their other friend...do they? Oh, I don't even know what I'm saying—I love him, I can't shy away from that. And I don't even know_ how _to kiss, for goddesses sake! I need to move, now._

"Can I sleep over your house tonight?" Zelda tried a hand at trying to get out of their position, the stroking on the back of her hand not helping.

Link didn't hesitate to tell her, "Yeah. Impa won't mind, she is already really fond of you, anyway."

Zelda smiled, being the one to give Link's hand a squeeze before pulling away and sitting up, leaving Link to feel empty as he laid and looked down at him. "So," she was saying, "I believe we should go now."

Link hesitated there, but he licked his lips and nodded, sitting up right when Zelda stood up.

She held her hand out for him, a smile on her face.

 _Such a familiar scene._ Link grabbed her hand. _It used to hurt, but now…_ He laughed as he almost pushed Zelda in the lake from the force of having been pulled up. He gave her a grin and wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a friendly way, bringing her close as the two walked to the direction of his home.

 _Now,_ he thought with a giddy beat in his heart, _it just makes me feel safe._

* * *

Once Link stepped foot onto his porch to open the door with his keys, it had only just hit him that a girl was going to be sleeping over his house. Not even Mipha had done that, for there was no need or it was just never brought up.

Link wasn't very keen on sleepovers—he opened the door to the house—because the last time he had one was with his old friend that left him.

"Impa?" Link called out, smiling at his aunt when he saw her walk out of the kitchen.

"Oh, hi guys!" Impa turned off the kitchen's light, walking up to the teens. She rose an eyebrow when she saw Zelda. "Isn't it late?"

Zelda rolled on the balls of her feet. "Uh…," she fiddled with her hands, "well, I was wondering if I could stay for the night? I-it's kind of too late for me to go home now."

Link nodded, going along with her lie. "Yeah, and she and her father got into an argument earlier so she came over to find me as soon as possible because she said she would feel better with me around."

"Which," Zelda butted in, "did help."

Impa seemed to have bought their lie, for she nodded and gave them a smile. "Alright, that's fine. Glad my kid was of use to you. Anyway, I'm going to bed. Zelda, you can sleep in Link's room because the couch isn't very comfortable to sleep on, and it's pretty small for your height." She turned around to walk to the hallway to her room. "Goodnight, kids, try not to do anything too crazy."

Link and Zelda both blushed at the end of her farewell, but Zelda laughed it off slightly as she followed Link to his room.

On the way, though, they stumbled upon the table of photos. Zelda stopped Link by grabbing his elbow and having them stop in front of the photo of Link when he was younger. She nudged his side playfully. "You look cute here, how old were you?"

Link smiled and chuckled bashfully, scratching the back of his head as he gave Zelda his response. "Uh...around nine?"

Zelda laughed, releasing Link and walking past him to head over to his room. "You were a cute kid."

Link watched her as she walked away, smiling as he started moving behind her. He decided to mess with her a little. "Oh, and I'm not cute now?"

He was able to hear the bashfulness in her own voice when she stammered, "I-I mean— y-yeah? No?" She groaned, shaking her head as she stopped at the front of his door, facing him with a pout that he couldn't help but laugh at.

"Just so you know," she crossed her arms, "I have a more enhanced word for what you look like to me now."

Zelda opened his door and left him standing there on the spot for a split second with only a little time to comprehend what he had told her. But, he just couldn't get it without it being something that he doubted Zelda had meant.

 _What?_ He entered his room after contemplating and closed the door behind him after switching on the light, watching as Zelda set her backpack down against the leg of his desk.

He slid off his own shoes with his feet, noticing Zelda wasn't moving from her spot as she watching him take off his shoes. So, he smiled gently and said, "You can take off your shoes, Zelda."

Zelda nodded once, taking off her own shoes right after Link finished. He pushed them aside with his foot, remembering Zelda had a hygiene she probably cared a lot about.

"Hey," he was saying, "if you want, you can use my shower to...uh...shower?"

Zelda smiled at his offer, placing her shoes beside her bag. As Link was walking toward her, she said, "That'd be great, thanks, Link."

Link smiled and reached toward his desk behind her, grabbing two towels. He stepped back and handed them to Zelda. "Here you go. They're clean, trust me. And...since I have long hair myself, _I_ also have another towel for my hair...so...uh…" Link let her grab them. "Here."

"Once again—" Zelda walked over to his door, turning her head to shoot a smile over her shoulder—"thank you."

Link nodded in response right before she opened the door and closed it after leaving, headed for the bathroom that was across the hall.

 _Now,_ Link thought to himself, looking around with his hands on his hips, _where should she sleep?_ _I don't want her to sleep on the floor, so my bed is the best option...but...there's no other blankets besides the one on my bed. There's nothing to cushion the ground, either._

Link stepped over to his bed, plopping onto his back with a heavy sigh. _Maybe...I could sleep on the ground?_ He raised his head to look past his body to the ground, taking back his words. _Never mind, I'll get sick without blankets._

 _Oh, man...there's no other option besides…_ Link licked his lips, pursing them as blood rushed to his face. _She's gonna have to sleep with me. Same bed, same covers, close proximity. My bed works for two people. Luckily I have two pillows._ He turned even more red, dropping his forearm over his eyes. _I need to man up. I'm a grown gentleman, I can work it out somehow by being mature about it and not get nervous…_ He sat up, strolling to his closet to find a set of pajamas. _But, no matter what, I'm still insanely nervous. I don't see a problem, though!_ Link opened his closet, pulling out a random t-shirt. _We were literally almost cuddling back at the park_. He pulled out a pair of shorts that were hanging around the closet. _We've almost...kissed many times._ He took out his phone and set it on the desk, taking off his jacket and his shirt right after. _I should just think of it as like any other time we lay down together. We hold hands—_ he slipped on the t-shirt— _we're playful with each other._ He removed his pants. _We...—I sometimes go as far as to hold her face in my hands._ He slipped on the shorts. "I don't see a problem," he softly told himself.

Once he was dressed up comfortably, he was already back at his bed. He had made sure Zelda's pillow was fluffed to make it soft—he did his own too, while he was at it—and he made sure she was going to feel at home and cozy on his own bed.

By then, he wasn't as nervous as he found himself to had been when they entered his house.

* * *

Zelda was an idiot. She was just eager to get in a quick shower, but she had forgotten about any clothes.

She was debating on whether or not she should wait a little longer to knock on Link's door, especially with her appearance as of that moment, or to just quickly enter and ask him for a set of clothes.

 _Oh, this is embarrassing, but I hope he has clothes that fit my body._ Zelda opened the door just slightly, her wet hair wrapped in a towel when she peeked into his room and looked for Link, who was on his bed playing a game on his phone to pass the time.

Link, having heard his door open, looked away from his phone and to Zelda. He gave her a welcoming smile, sitting up and turning off his phone. "Hey, how was it?"

"Uh," Zelda smiled back, too nervous to go through the door all the way, "it went well. There's just...one small problem."

Link stood up and every step he made toward her made her heart rate increase. She acted quick. "I-I don't have any clothes."

Link stopped walking, standing still. "Oh."

Zelda nodded, looking anywhere but at Link. "Yup."

"U-uh," Link's voice cracked, "I'll-I'll get you something, give me a second."

Zelda nodded in thanks as she held the door closer to her body when he passed by her to get to his closet, hastily looking for clothes that would fit onto Zelda.

It took him awhile, but when he checked in with her he passed her a pair of black sweatpants and a plain green t-shirt that he often wore on their days out and to sleep.

"These are clean," he said. He smiled, a small blush on his face as he refrained from lowering his eyes when he passed the clothes over to Zelda. "And comfortable. Do you have underwear?"

Zelda shook her head, a small blush on her face. "Uh...you don't have any of my kind of underwear, do you?"

Link gave her the shake of his head, struggling to keep his eyes on her face because his curiosity was making it difficult to. "I-I can get you one of mines. Uh, they're all clean. I swear—"

Zelda nodded fast, suddenly shy. "I-it's okay."

The flustered teen in front of Zelda on the other side of the door nodded back and rushed to grab a pair of his briefs, grabbing them and handing them to her. They were blue, and they seemed kind of tight so they'd work fine for her.

"Thank you," she said. She closed the door, rushing to the bathroom as she felt even more naked than she already was.

* * *

When Zelda had finally finished tidying up—brushing her hair with a brush she found in the bathroom and whatnot—she had entered Link's room and found him lying on his bed again as he waited for her.

He seemed to have heard her once again, smiling as he saw her. He sat up, setting his phone down as he pushed himself off the bed. "Hey," he greeted. He strolled over to her and gestured to her appearance. "Looking good."

Zelda blushed slightly, smiling at his compliment. "Your clothes are really comfortable. And...well, your underwear fit just fine."

Link felt his cheeks sizzle just a bit, but he chuckled it away. "I suppose that's good."

After he said that, silence had grown in the air. Link didn't want to say it was awkward, but it was moreover overwhelming.

 _What do we do now?_ Link pursed his lips as he tried to think of something they could've done before they slept, but his mind was at a blank state. He nodded to himself, awkwardly gesturing to his bed as he gave her a lopsided smile. "Uhm, how about we go to bed? You're sleeping on it."

His words seemed to have brought Zelda from her inner thoughts, because she suddenly had looked at him in surprise. "What?" She looked from Link to the bed, her brows furrowing. "I'm...I'm sleeping in the bed?"

Link simply nodded, rolling on the balls of his feet to ease his nerves.

"But, where're you going to sleep?"

 _Oh, Zelda…_ Link bit his lower lip, wringing his hands as he found a way to form his words before letting them free. He cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. "Well...in the bed. With you. I-if that's a problem I can just sle-"

"N-no! It's okay, really." Zelda took a deep breath. "I don't mind… Just...it's my first time willingly sleeping right beside you."

Link let out a small laugh, knowing where she had come from. "I get what you mean." He looked down, going through everything he told himself when he was changing. "It wasn't my initial idea; I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, but there were no other extra things for a makeshift bed so I found it better if we just lay together." Link shrugged, forcing himself to say, "We've been a lot more closer before—just two hours ago, for example—so I believe we'll be fine if we don't think about it too much."

 _Oh, thank the goddesses above that he has the same mindset I do._ "Alright," said Zelda, walking to the bed to stand at the side of it. "Which is my side?"

Link stepped up beside her, pointing to the edge they were in front of. "This side. More space. I'm sleeping right," Link pointed at the side against the wall, "there."

Zelda nodded, unsure of how to approach the offer. "Um...so...can I get in now...or…"

Link let out a breath he wasn't aware of holding and waved for her to go ahead. "Yeah, yeah! Go ahead, Zelda."

He went to shut off the light while removing his hair tie, laughing when he heard Zelda's panicked yelp when it went dark. "Sorry, I know you can't see."

Zelda felt for the top of the blanket, smiling to herself when she found it right as Link opened the blinds to his room to let the moonlight shine through. "Better," she commented.

Another laugh had left Link as he carefully made his way to the foot of the bed, crawling to his side as he pulled the top of the blanket open. He slid under the soft fabric, his skin tingling when he accidentally bumped into Zelda's leg with his foot. "Sorry," he apologized. He laid his head on the pillow, sighing in contentment as he sunk into his mattress.

"Must be nice to lay in bed after such a long day, huh?"

Link turned his head to look at Zelda, and he was glad he could see her within the light the had. He smiled and nodded with a hum.

He believed it would be silent as the two tried to sleep, staring at the dim ceiling, but he was glad when Zelda kept a conversation going. She was saying her thoughts out loud; for example, "I honestly don't mind being in the same bed as you—you're right, we have been a lot more closer. But...it's just my first time being in the same bed as someone."

 _At least we're in the same boat._ "I know what you mean. I can ditto that."

Zelda grunted in response, not saying anything afterward.

That was when the silence Link had been expecting had happened, and he didn't know what to say. He felt his heart go faster with the thought of the girl he loved in the same bed as him, but he tried to be a mature male about it and stay sane.

 _This definitely_ isn't _just a teenage crush._ Link sighed through his nose, swallowing audibly as another thought came to his mind. _If I'd known her for a little longer than at least a month and wasn't such a coward, then I'd probably have made a move. We're a lot more closer than Mipha and I had ever been...and…_ He closed his eyes, trying his hardest to not let his emotions get the best of him. _And I don't believe she'd love me the same. For the hundredth time, I do_ not _want to ruin the only good thing I have in my life right now. Not ever. I trust her. I've bonded faster with her than with anyone I'd ever met. Sadly, it sounds cheesy, but it's true._

While Link was on his own side having a mental conversation with himself to keep himself sane, Zelda was as well.

 _I hate love. No wonder I've never experienced it. It's so complicated!_ Zelda tapped her fingers on her stomach over the blanket that was over the two of them. She was glad it was dim, because if Link was watching her he'd miss how red her face was when she was able to feel the body heat from him. _He's probably still in love with Mipha, too. So that makes it all the more complicated! And, we've only met for a week. Does love really come that fast?_

Zelda turned her head to look at Link, but she let out a small yip when she caught him looking at her. She tried to scoot back because their noses were about to touch, but she had nowhere to go. Link was laying on his shoulder, if he moved over a bit they'd be fine...but...

 _This is stupid._ She couldn't take her eyes off of Link. He was just so...appealing to the eye. She didn't know what it was about him that made him attractive to her. Was it his personality? His eyes? His cheeks, his nose, his jawline, or maybe even his hair? Or was it his mouth?

The mouth she so dearly wanted to place her own lips upon, but that was a risk that was forbidden to be taken.

 _I hate these feelings._ Zelda was struggling to take her own eyes away from Link, and she was able to notice a big gear turning in his head as he was looking into her eyes with all the light he had.

Unknown to Zelda, Link was having a big mental and physical fight with his mind. His body hurt because he struggled so much to keep his head from moving, and he was having multiple debates in his head.

 _Will it be worth it?_ he thought. _Will it be worth making her uncomfortable?_ He struggled. _No, it isn't._ Link almost turned back, but he couldn't; he loved looking at her. She was appealing to the eye. She was...beautiful. _I hate being a teenage male. I hate hormones. I hate that I fell in love so easily with someone who brought me back onto my feet—literally._

Zelda, herself, was having a really hard time forcing herself to stay put. She wasn't sure on what to do. She cursed her father for giving her rules. If she was free from the start, she could've had some experience to know what to do. Novels didn't cut out for her, at that moment.

 _If...if Link didn't like me the same, why do we always have those moments where...we almost kiss? Where we're always_ so close _voluntarily?_ Zelda frowned almost visibly, her heart thumping against her rib cage as she turned on her side to face him more comfortably. _I don't believe him to be the type to play with people's feelings—he's sweet. He's really dorky, but he's also really caring to the people around him from what I've seen. And he's great with animals, that's great too. Sometimes he's really rebellious and has no restrictions, but he's very...set on who he is as a person and in his actions. He knows what he's doing a lot of the time._

 _I don't know what I'm doing._ Link's inner battle was starting to lose between making a move, or to not. He had so much courage at that time to do it, but the fear of ruining their friendship brought him back a notch.

But, for the two to be touching noses already was a starting point for him. He was afraid to go on, though. Despite his spunk, his worries clawed at his chest so painfully that it was almost suffocating him.

 _This is my one big chance. I don't know when I'll ever have a better chance to kiss her. But we've got all the time in the world, don't we? If I make a move now, it'll shorten that time. It'll ruin all we have…_ Link inhaled a deep breath, making Zelda blink awake from whatever she was thinking.

That was when she turned red, aware of how physically close they were. She didn't move, though. Neither of them did. Because of that, Link's strength shot through the roof when he shakily brought his hand up to her cheek. He tried his hardest to steady his hand as he stroked her hot cheek, but despite that, his heartbeat was pounding in his ears.

By then, their breaths mingled with one another's. Zelda's own heartbeat was beating so rapidly she feared Link would hear it, but he didn't. He was in his own world.

 _No more backing out,_ Link told himself. He tried to stay strong—tried to make a move—but it all came as a surprise to him when Zelda started to slowly inch closer.

 _The books I've read better help me._ Zelda felt numb when she brought her hand up to place it on his neck, gently. Her adrenaline was running, just as much as Link's.

For when they needed it the most, no one interrupted the moment between the two inexperienced teenagers when they placed their lips upon the other.

Zelda felt like her heart was going to explode, but she closed her eyes the second they touched lips and her hand moved to the nape of Link's neck when he brought her closer and deepened the kiss.

It was nothing more than chaste, no other movement besides the beating of their hearts. They didn't even breathe because of the fear of regret. But it still felt exhilarating; they both couldn't deny that.

Link let his lips stay on hers a little longer, pulling back just enough to keep his forehead on her own as he cupped her jaw. His chest was heaving, but so was the girl's that he had just kissed.

 _I...I kissed her._ Link kept his eyes closed, just like Zelda, and the two took a moment with their inner thoughts and their breathing. _I did it!_ Link smiled and a small laugh left his mouth as he tried his best to comprehend what had happened.

Zelda, though, was also trying to comprehend. _What just happened? Did we kiss? Did we really kiss?_ She licked her lips, her worries and all of her pent up emotions relieved from her. She pulled her lips into a smile as she giggled when she realized what she thought had happened _really_ happened.

Link was the first to speak, his breath shallow. "Did we really just…?"

Zelda was still too shocked to speak, so she gave him a silent nod, all the while feeling content being with Link the way they were at that moment.

Link, too, felt the same. His excitement got the best of him, though, for he laughed quietly and brought her back in for another kiss—one which Zelda did not deny, smiles and giggles all over.

Zelda didn't know what she was doing, not at all, but she was getting the hang of it. Along with Link.

Their kisses were messy due to their grins, but they didn't seem to care because they were content to be showing affection for the other in a way they hadn't been able to for the week of meeting and falling in love.

When it was all over, Link felt so happy holding Zelda in his arms. Her head tucked under his chin, her arms around his waist; not only did he feel tall, he felt content. He'd been wishing to hold her the way he did back at Lake Hylia under the stars, but he felt it to be a dream too good to be true.

As for Zelda, she'd never had physical contact with anyone the way she had with Link. It was all so new to her. Link, not so new, but he still was growing just as used to it as she was.

 _Maybe...I should tell him?_ Zelda dug her face into his chest, feeling elated in his warm arms in the chill of his room. _We've already kissed. It should mean something, right?_

 _I should tell her how I feel...but…_ Link let his lips rest on the top of her head, a subtle kiss being given. _What if...the kiss, to her, was in the heat of the moment?_ Link scolded himself for thinking such a thing, but he couldn't help it. He was afraid Zelda didn't actually feel the same, and she was maybe doing it just because it...just happened, out of the blue.

 _I hate overthinking._ Link closed his eyes and sighed, placing a gentle kiss on Zelda's golden head to give her a hint of some kind.

"Link," Zelda muttered. She pulled away from his arms, moving up to look him in the eye, her arms still around him while he kept his around her shoulders.

Link gave her a grunt in response, scared for what she had to say next. _We should've been more...careful, I suppose._

"I...uh…" Zelda seemed suddenly shy to say what she wanted to, but Link gave her a small smile of encouragement. "I've...never kissed anyone before. So, first of all, you're my first kiss."

Link was surprised, but he knew he shouldn't have been. She had been rarely let out of her house, first of all. But...it had still been a shocker to Link. "Seriously?"

Zelda nodded, biting her lip. She kept her voice leveled. "Yes. I...I've never found an attraction to someone like this before, either, so I've never had one. You truly are my first kiss."

 _An attraction…?_ Link's words hit Zelda like a bat, and he had to do a double take. "Wait. What do you mean when you say you've never had an attraction to someone?"

He could tell Zelda was afraid to say what was on her mind, and it gave him a little bit of hope as to what it meant. Maybe he wasn't alone. Thus, he pressed her on to say it.

She finally did, her hands sliding up to rest on his shoulders. "Link. I...I think I love you. Well—I don't _think_ , I _know_. But...I...I've never—"

A kiss was enough to stop her stumbling, which gave Link enough time to grasp onto all of what she had said. She _loved_ him. _Loved_!

If Link wasn't the happiest man alive, he didn't know _who_ was.

He pulled back from the kiss, and it made Zelda grow worried when she saw a tear slide down his cheek. "Hey, wait-"

"Zelda, I _absolutely_ love you too." Link was grinning, trying to keep his masculinity on top of his emotions.

Zelda was the one to wipe away his tears, and she was beyond confused. "Why are you crying?"

Link chuckled as he brought her close, holding her tightly in a hug as he tucked her head underneath his chin as he kissed the top of her head. "Happy tears, Zelda. I swear upon every god in this world, these are happy tears."

Link had never felt more relieved—more _euphoric_ —than any other time in his life.

* * *

The light shooting through Link's blinds awoke him from his rest, as well as his alarm. He inhaled a deep breath as he squinted his eyes to try and fight against the sun, but his eyes were still not yet accustomed to it.

He closed his eyes again, trying to turn on his side and reach for his phone that was on the ground beside the bed but he felt an object blocking him.

His eyes shot open as his heart dropped, Zelda sleeping peacefully on her side with her back facing him. His heart dropped because he had forgotten she slept over, and seeing her was a big shock to him for a split second.

He quickly reached over—he tried to not squish Zelda—and grabbed his phone before laying back down to turn off the obnoxious alarm.

Zelda stirred a little, and Link froze because he feared he woke her up but she just turned to him and wrapped her arms around him before cuddling against his side.

He felt the blood rush to his face, but it was at that moment he remembered the events of the night before.

 _Oh, gods. Did...did that all_ really _happen?_ Link instinctively bit his lower lip. _It wasn't a dream?_

Speaking of dreaming, Link had been reminded of the dream he had before having been awaken. It felt like a vivid dream of one of the Heroes—the Hero of Time, most likely—going to the Lost Woods.

Now that Link thought about it, it felt more like a memory than a dream. The adult Hero was seen going to the woods...but...it seemed he had gotten lost. Link's dream was not at all clear, it felt choppy, but he had a grasp of it when there was a skeleton dressed in the armor that the Hero had on in a flash of an image. He didn't have a clear image, but he just _knew_ that instead of a Skull Kid the Hero was turned into something called a Stalfos right before his alarm had woken him.

 _Wait._ Link's eyes widened, quickly grabbing his phone to turn it on, his heart sinking when he noticed the day.

"Fu—" Link groaned, unsure of how to gently wake Zelda up.

He was glad he had his alarm set for an hour before, for once. If it got late, he could just slip on a pair of sweatpants before leaving.

He bit his lower lip, brushing Zelda's hair out of her face when she opened her eyes from Link's short exclamation. He laughed at how tired she looked, but he was also surprised at how stunning she still managed to seem in the morning.

 _Oh my goddesses, wait. Zelda has school, too!_ That was when Link broke out of his thoughts and smiled at Zelda. He softly greeted, "Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Zelda inhaled and let it out in a chuckle, closing her eyes as she made herself more comfortable against Link. She mumbled an incoherent, "Morning."

"We have school today." Link decided to get to the point, letting his hand rest on her back. "Maybe we should get up?"

Zelda whined, placing her hands astride from Link's chest and propping herself up to look at him with her exhausted eyes. "I forgot."

Link nodded, his breath taken away as he reached his hand up to run his fingers through her hair, gently. He hummed a yes, saying, "How far is your school from here?"

Link caught Zelda backtrack, sitting up when she sat on her bottom. He tilted his head questioningly.

Zelda opened her mouth, shying away when she said, "I...forgot to tell you. Since I'm...y'know, supposed to stay a secret, I'm actually home schooled. Which means...if I leave for school…I…"

Link finished her sentence. "You go back to the mansion, and you don't want to go back home."

Zelda nodded with a small smile. "Spot on."

Link sighed, leaning on his hands behind his back. "Shoot… Well... _I_ actually have school myself. And if I'm not there then it can really throw off my attendance record...but…," he smiled, scratching his head as he pushed himself up to sit against the wall atop his bed, "I believe I'm able to miss at least _one_ day."

Zelda immediately shook her head, brushing her messy hair away from her face. "I may be home schooled, but I know how much an attendance record means in public schools, so—"

Link shook his head gently, leaning his elbow on the wall to rest his head in his hand. "It's okay. Honestly, it is. It may be...kind of an academical big deal, but to me, it'll be alright." He shot her a grin. "I'm a good student."

Zelda sighed, struggling whether to keep fighting back or to let it go. She didn't say anything else though, and instead she fell back, stretching her legs as she laid flat on the other side of the bed.

Link smiled seeing her close her eyes, feeling in a giddy mood to be playful with her. Especially after the kiss they shared and their confession to one another. He was still so elated.

He gave Zelda a couple of seconds to get comfortable before moving forward to surprise her with a big hug. She let out a small scream from it, but she laughed and held onto Link even as he laid down to hold her close to his body. There was a big grin on his own face when she placed her hands on either side of his head to steady herself as she looked into his eyes. His arms were wrapped around the small of her back to keep her close to him, and she couldn't help but blush.

"Link, now I'm curious." Zelda tilted her head as she flicked her hair away from her face. "Why are you so...playful lately? It's not a bad thing, just wondering."

Link pretended to be in thought, looking off to the side. "Hmm...maybe it's because the person I fell helplessly in love with loves me back and we shared our first kiss just the night before?" He laughed, reaching a hand up to caress her cheek with the back of his hand before grasping it, softly. "I'm just...so happy, Zelda. Insanely. You're the only person who's...felt the same way I did, for once. I was usually always the one who wasn't paid attention to because of how silent I was. So...I never really fell for someone before like this in awhile."

"What about Mipha?" she asked.

That was the one person Link wanted to not speak about for a while, but he answered anyway as he dropped his hand. "Well...I fell for her, but we were never as close as the two of us." Link hesitated to say what was also on his mind, but the curiosity in Zelda's eyes caved in. "I… Zelda, you...love me for who I am, right? N...not my appearance?"

Zelda frowned, her heart hurting from the question. "Oh, Link… Of course I love you for who you are. Yes, you are...um...good looking...but, besides that, you've made me happier than I had been for _years_." Zelda nodded to emphasize her point with a knowing grin. "That says a lot."

Link felt a warm smile join in, the blush he felt staying when he heard what Zelda said about him. "I'm...really happy to hear that. If I'm going to be honest, all the hope I had of being with you went down the drain when you told me about who you actually were. _And_ you're a reincarnated Princess?" Link shook his head, disbelief in his smile. "That added on to that."

Zelda sighed, shifting her arms to rest on her forearms. That action made the two of them nose-to-nose. "Link," she whispered, "whether it be I am a Princess or the daughter of a gazillionaire, it doesn't change anything." She smiled, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead over his. "I like to believe cliches like that should stay in the books."

Link smiled hearing Zelda say that, and with how close they were he kissed her briefly. He closed his own eyes, bringing his hand up to the back of her head and stroking her hair as he kept his forehead stuck to her own. "I'm happy to hear that."

Link pushed her in for another kiss, one much longer. He tilted his head and let Zelda place all of her weight on him as she cupped his cheek and grew accustomed to the idea of placing their lips on each other.

The room was slightly chilly, but the blanket was in wrinkles underneath them as they smiled within the kiss.

"Link, get up you're going to b—"

Zelda quickly pushed herself away from Link and set herself against the wall, Link quickly sitting up as he and Zelda both tried to catch up on their breathing from the moment and scare.

Impa stood at the door, her mouth open in shock. "Um. I...didn't actually think you guys would do anything... _crazy_." She shook her head, absolute bewilderment on her features. "How long have you guys been together behind my back?" She rested her hand on her hip, leaning against the door as she rose a taunting eyebrow. "Has it _really_ been a week?"

Zelda didn't know what to say, for once, and neither did Link. He didn't want to lie and say it was nothing big...but...it really was! There was no doubt about it.

Cautiously, Link was the one to speak up. "U-um," his voice had cracked, "it...happened the time we got home. We haven't been doing anything behind your back—" Impa shot him a look that made him diffident—"I swear!"

Zelda was the one who engaged and saved Link from answering the next question. "I-I am honest when I say it _has_ been about a week since our meeting."

Impa squinted her eyes at Zelda, making her intimidated, but the aunt grew a smile as she relaxed herself. She laughed softly. "I was just kidding, guys… Just...be careful, though, okay?" She nodded at Link, pointing at him. "Take care of her, okay? Make sure nothing bad happens to her."

Her kid nodded, but he retorted back. "Why aren't you telling that to Zelda?"

"Because she's got you under a watchful eye already. You're good." Impa smiled, complicating the mind of the two teenagers.

"Aunt Impa, what do you-"

Impa interrupted Link, waving as she said, "See ya guys in a bit. I have some things to discuss with Lake about a bet." She winked with a smirk and walked out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

Both the flustered teens look at each other with equal confusion on their faces, but Zelda was laughing as she said, "Your aunt...she's really something else."

Link watched Zelda as she crawled off of his bed, refusing to show his disappointment of their moment being interrupted. "Yeah…"

And, if anything, he was actually happy their moment had gotten interrupted _after_ their first kiss. Now, he felt there were no more rules he had to lie down to refrain himself from giving Zelda more than just a hug.

When he got off of his own bed, he closed his door and ruffled his hair. "This hair is making me irritated. I'm cutting it no later than this week." Link pouted, walking over to Zelda as she was watching him in amusement as he complained about his hair. She passed him the brush that he gestured for and watched as he ran it through the small tangles.

"Well," she said, a smile on her face as she leaned against his desk, "your long hair makes you look like those handsome men in those fairy tales who ride horses. So, maybe it's a win-win situation?"

Link shrugged, a laugh coming past his lips as he passed the brush over to Zelda for her own hair. "Thanks? I've never ridden a horse, actually, but I'd like to one day. They're really cool." He tied his hair up.

"I'm sure you will one day, we just need to find the right place." Zelda set the brush down after untangling her hair the best to her ability. "We can go out and find an area that allows it."

Link felt his heart swell up for the girl he loved so dearly, smiling tenderly. He waiting for her to finish messing with her hair before grabbing her arm and pulling her into a hug. She returned it, her arms around his shoulders. Link rested his chin on her shoulder, timid before giving her cheek a small peck before whispering in her ear, "I...I love you."

He practically felt the blush on her own face, and he could not deny that he was blushing as well. She hugged him tighter and pressed her forehead against his temple. "I love you, too, and it feels so much better being able to tell you that without feeling anxious all the time."

Link pulled back with a smile, his torso connected with hers while he nodded and gave her one more brief chaste kiss on her lips before releasing her and looking at the door.

"Maybe…," he was saying, "we should just chill in here?" He looked back to her, a warm smile placed on his lips. "Impa will get the memo that I'm not going to school if I just stay in here."

Zelda frowned, pulling back his rolling chair to sit on it, looking up at Link. "Fine, you can stay. But...if this happens again then you're going, okay, Link?"

Link chuckled and nodded, walking behind the chair Zelda was on before pushing her to the bed. He sat down on the bed in front of her and let her knees connect with the inside of his knees. "I hear you loud and clear, your highness."

Zelda, the nicknames growing on her, nodded and said, "You better have, Sir Link."

Link smiled, leaning back to grab his phone before coming back to Zelda. He waved it in front of her face. "Now—I have internet here, so what if we just use this time together to search up on the Master Sword, shall we?"

Zelda didn't even have to say anything, the nod of her head was enough to have Link already go onto the search bar and type, _What is the master sword?_

Zelda moved from the chair to sit beside Link, looking at his phone along with him. She glanced at him for a second, saying, "All we know is that it's a sword that has something to do with the darkness Hyrule once had to fight all these years. So, before we actually go and search up on it, what do you think this means for you?"

"Well, I haven't seen anything about any evil dude around so I can't be sure," he claimed. Suddenly, his mind reverted back to the dream he had. Thus, he turned to her and said, "Hey, I know it's kind of out of topic, but I had a dream last night, right?"

Zelda nodded, so he continued. "Well, it felt more like a memory instead of a dream. It just felt so...real. It _couldn't_ have been a dream. And it was just about the Hero of Time getting lost in the Lost Woods—" Zelda grimaced—"and instead of turning into a Skull Kid, he turned into a skeleton of some sort—a Stalfos, I believe."

Zelda furrowed her brow. "Stalfos? What is that exactly?"

Link shook his head. "That's the thing, I don't even know what that is but out of nowhere I just suddenly knew of it this morning. Look." Link made a new tab on his web browser, searching _Stalfos_.

Just as they both suspected, there were no results related to his dream. "See? It's nothing to these people. Historians don't even know what it is...but... _I_ do?" He shook his head, going back to the Master Sword. "It's weird. But the tree will tell us, hopefully. "

Zelda nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah. And if we can find anything on the internet, we'll just ask him. He's the most reliable source."

Link laughed at Zelda's choice of words. He nodded to agree with her.

While Link was scrolling through, Zelda had a realization hit her. "Um, Link." She made sure he was looking at her before continuing. "I...may be wrong, but what if—like me...what if you're the reincarnation of the Hero?"

Link immediately shook his head, denying her. "Doubt it."

Zelda furrowed her brows, making hand gestures as she tried to reason with Link. "But it makes sense, Link. Your name even gives me an idea, for one." She started to count on her fingers. " _And_ you're very fond of swordsmanship, _and_ you like the idea of riding a horse—the Heroes from back then, most of them used horses for transportation. Also, may I add, you look _just_ like the Hero of the Wild. Like...literally a spitting image." She crossed her arms, raising a knowing eyebrow at Link. "I wouldn't be surprised by now."

Link didn't say anything but look at Zelda, unsure of how to respond. Everything she had said made sense, but the _idea_ of him being the Hero reborn? That...was insane. Even more insane than finding a sword that was passed down for generations for the…

He sighed, defeated. "And...I was also able to pull out the Master Sword…"

Zelda nodded once, happy with Link realizing something. "Correct."

Link shook his head again, turning back to his phone as he tried to avert from the possibility of him being the Hero. "Anyway, let's continue. I found something at the top of the page that seemed like it'd be correct in some way."

"Let's see then." Zelda used her own finger to push on the website that was on the top search, watching in awe with a smile as it opened a new web page. "Cool," she said.

Link chuckled hearing her amazement by the phone, but he handed it over to her.

"What?" Zelda held the phone in her hand, confused as to why he handed it over.

He nodded his head toward the screen and looked at her with a smile. "Read it."

Zelda gave Link a blank stare for a few seconds, blinking and then looking at the phone. "Uh…," she slowly scrolled down the page, "so...it's referred to as the Blade of Evil's Bane, Legendary Sword...and all these other names but the one we are most familiar with is the Master Sword."

Link leaned on his hands, which were behind his back, and nodded, a gesture for her to keep going. Which she did. "Um...so the goddess Hylia had first created it for the first Hero. He...doesn't have a name, apparently. But he always had this signature scarf." From just saying that, her head started to hurt just slightly. Actually, not just slightly—it started thumping.

"I've...never heard of that Hero before," uttered Link.

Zelda's hands started to falter from holding the phone. "It...it's not even in here."

Link's forehead creased. "What?"

When Zelda turned to look at him he was perplexed when Zelda handed him his phone back. "What happened?" he asked, slightly concerned.

Zelda took a deep breath, sitting up straighter. "The...facts, or whatever, of the first Hero wasn't even... _in_ the sentence I read." She felt Link grab her hand, a form of comfort. She was glad that he sensed whenever she needed it or not. "I swear, Link, to every god in this universe that _out of nowhere_ I just knew about this."

"Maybe because you're...actually tied to the goddess?" Link's eyes widened in realization, spurting, "What if the more we talk about a topic related to the Hero and the Princess—or goddess—that she's trying to give you all she can for you to _remember_ who you once were?"

The idea of that left Zelda in a blank state of mind, her hand limp in Link's. "Link...I...I don't know."

Link frowned when he saw Zelda look away from him as she looked to the ground with slumped shoulders. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her the most comfort possible for she was stressed out of her mind. He leaned his temple on hers, murmuring, "And what if she's also doing that to me?"

"I don't think it's Hylia doing it to you, Link." Zelda's words came out immediately, as if she knew at the top of her head what was happening. "You...seem to have courage, and the Heroes were all known for having the courage to fight and save Hyrule. Maybe it's the goddess Farore."

Link removed his head from Zelda's, looking at her with a contorted expression. "Farore?"

Zelda nodded.

"But—" Link looked down at the ground, too, his arm tightening around Zelda. "So...I just need to know, can you explain what happened with the first Hero and the Master Sword?" He was happy to see Zelda nod, ready to hear her story when she said, "So the Master Sword was given to him by Hylia herself because he was _the one_ —he was Hylia's chosen Hero. That's...all I know, if I were to sum it up."

Link nodded slowly, letting her words hang in the air as he looked at the play sword hung on his wall. _Hylia's chosen Hero, huh? So, does that really mean-_

"So you are technically her chosen Hero, Link." Zelda gave him a half-smile, her smile not reaching her eyes. "And...I'm the Princess of Hyrule. Technically."

Link refused to accept it; he should've been siked, elated—he simply wasn't. "We'll just have to see the Deku Tree for our answer, in the end. I'm...kind of fatigued from all of this."

Zelda sighed, pushing down Link's arm and bringing him with her as she fell onto the bed to lay on it. "Agreed."

Link looked at Zelda, not believing the girl he was in love with was someone of such high...class. In more ways than one. She was a Princess, a goddess reborn, the daughter of a rich man...it was all too surreal to be able to comprehend. For her to feel the same as well?

Link almost felt like he was dreaming when Zelda dug her face in the crook of his neck to get comfortable. He let his shoulder be her pillow, running small patterns through her back. He closed his own eyes as he let all of his thoughts consume him with the light breathing of Zelda and his own heartbeat thumping in his ears.

 _Ever since Zelda and I had met...everything in my whole life—our lives—took an unexpected turn. Significantly._

 **I wanna try and update every Friday, since I have done so these past two weeks, but it probably isn't gonna work out lmao. Hope this chapter was alright, I'm kind of proud of it as well haha. I'm so close to 100 follows :) It makes me really happy and proud of this fanfic, and I really do try to make this the best I can with just a single me lol, excuse my mistakes**

 **ok bye lol till next time ily all who read this far**


	14. 13 - Dreams

Both Zelda and Link awoke from the force of four paws stomping all over their bodies. Link woke up, completely, and groaned in pain when one paw had stepped on his groin.

"Ow, ow—" Link tried dodging the licks from the only thing that could've been making such a ruckus to him and the girl beside him. He told Lake to stand down and sat up after wiping the slobber off his face. He sent a glare toward his dog, but he was only able to hold it for so long before he laughed with the shake of his head.

Zelda sat up right after wiping off her own given dose of slobber from her face and looked alarmingly toward Lake. "He scared me so bad."

Link laughed and rubbed his eyes, groaning slightly from the slight pain down between his legs. " _And_ hurt me so bad. He's _heavy_."

Zelda was confused as to what he meant, but when she saw him place a hand between his legs she got the memo and blushed. She gave him a slow nod, looking over to her right to find Impa standing there with an amused grin over her face.

Impa laughed, stepping over to sit at the end of the bed with Lake, who was calmly sitting on his hind legs with a lolling tongue. She gave his fur a gentle rub, announcing, "Hope you guys slept well. It's already ten."

When Link felt better he looked up and sniffed, looking around at his surroundings to find he and Zelda had laid on the pillows and not on the edge of the bed where they originally fell asleep after discussing the sword. "Oh. Ten AM?"

Impa nodded, letting Lake go as he passed by a flinching Link to sit on Zelda's lap. He made himself comfortable before laying down.

"He sure does love you a lot," murmured Link.

Zelda smiled when she looked at Link, a taunting look on her face. She didn't say anything, but she did turn to look over to Impa. "So...Link missed school?"

A solid nod was all Zelda was given. Thus, she argued, "But why? If anything, I kind of felt bad having to hold him back a day from school…"

Impa laughed, waving her off. "It's honestly okay. If he faked being sick, I'd drag him out of bed. But, luckily, he hasn't done that. And he's a good kid, behavior wise and educationally wise." She smiled, noticing how Link furrowed his brow to saying something but she beat him to it. "Besides, I wouldn't have wanted Zelda to have been left alone. I know it would've been too late for her to make it to school on her own time. I know, Zelda—" she and Zelda locked eyes—"how much comfort you find in my kid."

Zelda smiled softly, running her fingers through Lake's fur to calm him down. "Thank you, Impa."

Link, from the side, nodded as he gave his aunt a smile as well. "Thank you, too."

"Yeah, but I have a question I want to ask." Impa toyed with a silver strand of her hair. "Has it really been a week since you guys met each other?"

Reluctantly, both of the kids nodded. Zelda was the one who answered. "Ah, yes. Is it…really strange?"

"Well," said Impa, "considering you guys are dating, it's just a little hard to believe. I just hope you guys are careful."

The blush that was emitted from both Link and Zelda made Impa amused, but Zelda was looking down as she muttered, "I-I don't…—"

Link cut her off before she could say anything else. "We'll be careful. We promise. We know what we're doing."

Zelda looked at Link with a small flash of befuddlement in her eyes, one that Impa had missed, fortunately. She fully turned to Impa, her face relaxed when Link's aunt turned to her as well. She didn't say anything, but she nodded as her response.

"Hm…" Impa stood up from the bed, resting her hands on her hips. "Alright. Anyway, would you guys like to be left alone?" When Impa got that out, she didn't expect for the two of them to speak at the same time.

"I'd prefer that/I don't mind either or." Link and Zelda looked at each other, slight amusement on the other's face.

"I'll listen to Link here." Impa laughed, making her way to Zelda to pick up the stubborn Lake off of her lap. She moved out of the way to let Zelda stand to dust off the dog fur from the sweatpants that looked identical to her—it took her a second to figure out whose they were. "Thank you, though, Zelda, for being considerate. Unlike someone."

Link looked offended for a second, but he shook his head as he leaned his back on his wall atop of his bed. "What Zelda said."

"Too late, now, kid." Impa laughed, scratching the back of Lake's ear to get him to rest a bit more. She nodded to Zelda with a smile and said her goodbye's to the both of them before she walked out of the room and kicked the door closed behind her.

Zelda smiled hearing Impa's goodbye, but when she finished dusting off all that she could she was reminded back to what Link had said. She turned to face him, who turned red when she seemed to have caught him staring at her. The tilt of her head made him blush a little more, but he fiddled with his hands on his lap as he looked down.

Zelda didn't say anything about it besides smiling—just a little. "Link, I want to ask you something."

Link nodded as his response and was able to face her when the blush on his face died down. Zelda assumed he wasn't going to say anything after a few moments, so she got out what she wanted to discuss. "Okay, well, you know how Impa said we were dating, right?"

Once again, Link only nodded. At the very least, according to Zelda, he had seemed attentive.

She continued. "Yeah, well...um... _are_ we really dating?"

Link knew what she was going for, so he didn't do anything besides saying, "I…I'd _like_ to be official with you… As in…," he looked down, "y'know."

Zelda nodded, elated to say she wasn't alone. "Me too. But…"

"But—" Link continued for her—"I wouldn't have _known_ how to ask you, really. So, if anything, I'm glad this is being discussed because I would've been really confused." Link sighed, folding his hands over his lap. "I just...didn't know how to ask you—or _when_."

"It's okay." Zelda made a move to sit down on the bed again, seating herself beside Link's feet. She momentarily placed her hand on his shin—a comforting gesture. "I don't mind just as long as it ends up with me being with you. You don't even have to ask me, really; I'd be fine knowing we are together...in some way."

Link became a little bashful at what Zelda had said to him, but he managed a grin and playfully nudged Zelda's back with his foot. "That's fine by me. But I will ask you properly one day. Promise."

Zelda smiled, herself, and her eyes followed Link's as he sat up to scoot closer to her. "I'll be waiting for that day."

Link grunted in response as he reached for her hand and played with her fingers, just a small touch that made Zelda's heart flutter. In the end, she let him simply hold it. To be honest, Zelda was slightly happier than usual being with Link the way she was at that moment. She felt...relieved. Like a heavy weight was released from her chest. But, there was still a heavy thought weighing her down. She decided to let it out, uttering, "So...you told me you had a dream, right?"

Link opened his mouth, looking lost for a moment. "Uh...yeah; Lost Woods, right?"

Zelda nodded to let him know he was correct, saying, "I had one, too. Not last night, though. It was...a while ago. This morning, I guess."

Link nodded, as well, shifting their hands to intertwine them together. "About what?"

"It was...different," she said. She stared at their locked hands. "It...felt _so real_ that when I woke up I had forgotten I was in this time and age."

Link was very intrigued by then, nodding to give her a quick response. He licked his lips before pulling them in to tighten them, straightening his back. "Okay," he mumbled. He inhaled a deep breath, repeating himself loudly. "Okay. I know what you mean. I've had that before. Kind of recently, too—anyway, what was it about?"

Zelda closed her eyes, her hand securely in his own. "I just...I _know_ it was from the last Princess' generation—the dream...or...memory," she opened her eyes, slowly, "I suppose." She frowned, just a bit, before going on to say, "The Hero and I—the _Princess_ —were sitting on top of some kind of...mountain, I think." Her eyes locked with Link's. "We were discussing something that had to do with the evil that destroyed the land—Calamity Ganon, I believe, was what she was talking about. Not sure, but I could've sworn she was saying his name. Anyway—I'm slowly trailing off the topic here—" Zelda let out a small chuckle, which made Link let out a small smile in return—"monsters were on the rise again and she had sensed that it had something to do with Ganon being part of it." Zelda stopped talking to let Link pitch in his thoughts, but he was patiently waiting for her to finish her dream, thus she continued. "I think it was before he actually hit. I vaguely remember seeing a view of the castle from there, and it seemed in place."

She squinted, removing her hand from Link's to cross her arms over her chest. She feigned her annoyance. "Also, may I add, _I_ had to check for a certain _someone's_ wounds because they were, apparently, being reckless."

Link had a hunch on who she was talking about. "Oh, I wonder who could've been so reckless to have the Princess check for their wounds."

Zelda laughed as she playfully smacked his knee. "Let me just say it was someone's trustworthy knight."

Link merely smiled, but it gave a clear signal to Zelda as to what it meant. She knew he hated the thought of him being a former Hero, but he still found a benefit to it. "I'm happy we met. Honestly, I am. I just...find it weird that we even _did._ I mean—" Link gestured to her—"you're a reincarnated Princess, I'm _supposed_ to be a reincarnated Hero… It just...it's weird." He shrugged, unsure of what to say anymore. "That's all I can say."

"Well…," Zelda shrugged herself, "you're not wrong; what _are_ the odds of us having met? If someone told me I'd have met a boy at the park the day I met you and hung out with him for that day _and_ the rest of the week and so on, so forth...I'd have not believed that. And he happens to be a reincarnated legend? Even more unbelievable."

Link sighed, dragging his hand down his face. "Honestly, meeting you was a good thing." He let his hand rest on the back of his neck. "I've been happier, really. And...I've never had the _idea_ or even a _thought_ of me being a legendary champion cross my mind at least once—not until we started a friendship."

"I never had the idea or thought of me being tied to the royal family until I grew closer to you, really." Zelda opened her mouth but closed it right after, trying to form her words. "I...I'm going to admit something. Sometimes, whenever we are together, I would feel...something akin to deja vu. It's really weird."

"I do, too, don't worry." Link held her hand on his thigh, giving it a comforting squeeze. He licked his lips in thought, tilting his head. "When...do you think the Deku Tree will tell us everything? Do you think he will if we go to him now? Or...will he say I need more time…?"

"It could be either the first question or the latter," Zelda claimed. "I don't know if he will, and we don't know if you have all of your memories. Honestly...not even I have them all, but yet he still confirmed the royal blood in me."

"But you don't have all your memories…"

Zelda repeated herself. "Yes, but you don't know if you have all of yours. _But,_ I think it's because I _believe_ I'm the Princess, which would make it possible for him to give us answers if _you_ start to believe _you're_ the reincarnated Hero."

"But I refuse to!" Link exclaimed, desperately. "Look, I just...I know I _should_ , but—" he made sure Zelda was focused on his eyes—"what if I really _am_? Indeed, it is cool. I've always wanted to wield the Master Sword, but it's used for a _purpose_ —to seal the darkness." He grabbed Zelda's other hand, making sure she was listening to everything he was saying. "If there's not a darkness in this world, at this moment, then I wouldn't have been able to take that thing out of its pedestal."

Zelda was silent after Link's rant, but she took her time to put all he had said into mind. He was right—for one—but Zelda was unsure of how to verbally respond.

Link knew she wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, so he slouched and exhaled a defeated sigh. He brought Zelda's left hand up to his lips and planted a kiss on the back of it, releasing her hands to push himself off of the bed to stand. He knew Zelda was watching him, but he didn't turn around to face her when he was saying, "If there really is a Ganon lurking somewhere around here, just know I'll be the Hero you guys want me to be."

"Link—"

Said Link turned around just as Zelda had pushed herself off the bed, as well. She was going to say more but Link beat her to it. "I'll even protect you, if it comes to it," he said, firmly.

"Link, you don't have to." Zelda stepped closer to Link, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You're not going to have to fight an evil monster."

Link pursed his lips, a saddened look on his face when he placed his hand on Zelda's cheek. "But it sounds like I'm the legendary Hero, doesn't it? We can't ignore that, especially if I've pulled out a legendary sword, Zelda."

"But— Link-"

"Just…," Link smiled sadly, stepping forward to close his eyes as he placed his forehead over Zelda's forehead, "know I'll protect you in any way I can. Hero or not, Princess Zelda or just Zelda—I'll still protect you."

Zelda was speechless with all of what Link had told her, closing her eyes as she slowly brought her hand up to hold the nape of his neck. "We both play a part in this if there is an evil out there, Link."

Link's voice lowered, the softness a comforting feeling to her ears. "I know." He tilted his head just slightly on hers. "And...I love you too much to let you get hurt. I'll do whatever I can. We'll do it together." He smiled, his hand shifting to weave his fingers through her hair to simply hold her head. "Because I love you, and—"

"—and because I love you, Link," Zelda finalized, and Link felt warmth all over his body hearing it from her own soft voice. He practically felt Zelda's smile, so he acted on instinct and moved the lower half of his face to capture her lips in a passionate kiss, all the love he could muster from their inexperience put into it.

* * *

"Sir, I'm sure she just went to get fresh air—"

"She's been gone for a whole day, Lana!" Rhoam groaned tiredly and seated himself down on Zelda's bed, stressfully holding his head. "I'm worried something happened…"

Lana swallowed, and what she wanted to say got caught in her throat so it didn't come out. She was debating on trying to reassure the man or to tell him she was just as worried. In the end, she found _both_ to be a better option. "I know...but...Mr. Bosphoramus-"

"Rhoam." Zelda's dad looked at her with a smile—it was a struggle, but it was enough to let her know he wasn't mad at her. "We're alone, and you're close to my family enough to just say my first name."

"O-okay...Rhoam. I just…" Lana sighed, leaning against Zelda's closed door to stare at the window straight ahead of her. "I'm worried, too. But, I have faith she'll be back."

"And if she does not?" Rhoam felt his heart clench at the thought of that. "Oh, to all the gods, I hope she's alone."

"Why is that?" Lana asked.

Rhoam tried to look at Lana, but he couldn't face her when he was saying, "You know those things I told you right when you moved into here, full-time, after graduating? After your tenth year of living with us?"

Lana was unsure of what he was getting at, but she nodded nonetheless. "Well, yes, I do. What about it?"

"Okay…" Rhoam took a deep breath, looking at Lana with a firm glance. "I know I told you to pretend you are unaware of Hyrule and its origin after I told you about it, and the fate between the Hero and the Princes...but...now isn't the time. You're free from it."

Lana was taken aback. She pushed herself, slowly, off of the door. "What...? Wait, Rhoam-"

"Zelda knows." Rhoam stared dead into her eyes, and no more communication was needed.

Lana felt her whole world spin, confusion all over. "She...she knows? But...but I thought we never were going to tell her—" Lana knew what she was going to say—Zelda was never supposed to know—but it was when she was taken back to the conversation she and Zelda had about the boy she had met at the park. It all suddenly made sense to her. "Link."

"You know about him?" Rhoam stood up, abruptly enough to make Lana flinch a little. "How?"

"Uh…" Lana looked down, folding her hands in front of her. "Well...a few days ago Zelda and I were talking about how she met him at the park the day you let her out. They've...gotten pretty close, obviously."

"Oh, no." Rhoam's exclaim made Lana look up at him, slightly concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Rhoam told her what he had been thinking. "She must be with him. Maybe that's where she's been." His eyes widened, and his voice started to crack. "I...I can't let that happen. That Link boy is supposed to be the Hero of this generation, Lana."

"Wait—"

Rhoam didn't let her speak, his thoughts spluttering out in a low voice. "She's a Princess, and there has to be an evil out there. I...I am unsure if the Triforce had gotten to either of them, but if it did—" Rhoam swallowed, a lump in his throat making him choke, slightly. "Lana, we're going to be in big trouble if it does. If it does, then...then—"

"—then an evil force is sure to come and awaken." Lana's mind opened, and her own worries started to shoot through the roof. She ignored Rhoam as he paced around the room, looking around in thought as she tried to put it together.

There was no time, she had concluded. The day evil came would have to had been out of the blue, and Lana wanted Zelda to be as safe as possible. And, if Link was the Hero of their day and age, then he should've surely been able to protect her no matter what. It was his ancestor's duty. It was his, then. Lana could've been wrong—she let herself fall against the wall, looking at the ground with wide eyes—but she wanted to reassure herself that her best friend—her sister—was safe.

If Link couldn't do anything, she had thought with a bitter tone, then she would find a way to do it herself to keep her close friend safe. An evil was sure to come, anyway. She just hoped Zelda was responsible out there and safe away from harm.

But, when Rhoam left the room to go to his office, Lana felt vile rise up to her throat when a painful gut feeling of the evil being near hit her like a punch to the stomach.

 **Lmao this went from fluffy to like lowkey dramatic. Honestly, I originally planned this whole story to just be a fluffy fic but these ideas just came along the way so here we go :))) short as heck chapter though, like literally 3k words. I've been insanely busy this whole week with school and my piano recital, and finals are coming up soon so I might take a bit more to update. I finished this chapter a few days ago but I was too busy to edit it and post it despite how short it is.**

 **sorry for it being so short though, I'll try to make the next chapter long depending on the events. Till next time :)) (ALSO THANK YOU FOR 100 FOLLOWS :D"**


	15. 14 - Familiarity

When Link and Zelda had walked out of the hallway and into the living room, they weren't really surprised to find Impa talking to the dog while they both sat on the couch. Their footsteps was what made Impa turn from the attentive animal and look at the two teenagers who looked at her with amused expressions.

"I was telling him a story." Impa smiled and turned to Lake to give him a brief rub on the head before getting up to walk over to the kids standing in the middle of the intersection for the kitchen and living room. "So," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "what are you guys gonna do? At this point, school is halfway done."

Link glanced at Zelda, who did the same, before he set his eyes on his aunt and held his hands together before he opened his mouth to say, "Zelda and I would like to go out and take a walk. To...clear some air."

"'To clear some air?'" Impa rose an eyebrow and looked at Zelda, which lead the blonde to grin weakly to avoid speaking. It had worked, because Impa stopped asking telepathic questions and inquired her answer. "I believe that's not...the _best_ idea, at the moment." She nodded to Link, keeping her eyes on him. "Someone might be concerned for someone that might be missing school, so what if someone sees the two of you out?"

"We can make up an excuse if someone asks." He folded his hands over the other behind his back. "Lunchtime."

Zelda hadn't said anything throughout the whole conversation yet, but she needed her curiosity to be fulfilled. "Do...people outside actually care, though? If we miss school, I mean."

She had tried her best to not expose herself to being homeschooled, and it seemed to be believable because Impa shrugged and answered."Well... _some_ do...but not everyone, and—" she shook her head—"that's not...it… I just…"

Having heard Impa's pause, Link rose an eyebrow. He was unsure of what she was getting at, but she let out a sigh of defeat and was unable to further her reasoning. "Just go," she said. "If something happens, please call."

"This hasn't been a problem before, though, Impa…," was what Link had wanted to say, but he kept his lips tight as he nodded to her words.

Zelda, on the other hand, smiled politely and gave her reassurance to Impa. "Will do. And I'll make sure Link is in safe hands."

" _And_ she'll be in safe hands as well," Link inquired, looking at Zelda. She slightly turned pink in the face from his abrupt response, but she smiled it off.

"Okay." Impa bit her lower lip, smirking just slightly. "Just be careful out there, lovebirds. You may be alone, but that's not an advantage."

It took Link a few seconds to comprehend exactly what she had said, but he blushed and exclaimed, "We know what we're doing!" afterwards. Zelda didn't seem to understand, and she thought she was talking about something less erotic, so she smiled again and said, "It's okay, we know our limits."

Impa laughed and Link almost grabbed Zelda's hand to just leave, but the red on his face would have made Zelda curious and he didn't want to explain so he just bit his cheek.

"I'll be back later to pick up my things," announced Zelda, breaking the silence in Link's head. He looked at her but she was smiling at Impa—the polite smile she always had. "They're going to be sitting in Link's room, if that's alright with you."

"Oh, it's alright." Impa let the conversation die off when she held up a hand to wave at the two kids in front of her. "It's best you guys leave now, just in case I change my mind."

"Oh, uh—" Link turned his head to Zelda to give her a small nod before smiling at his aunt—"right. We'll...see you later, Impa." He turned to Zelda to give her the smile as well and grabbed her hand to lead the way out of the house.

Impa only watched as the door had opened and then closed once the two teenagers disappeared to the other side. If anything, she'd preferred they stayed. She felt it risky for them to leave, for so many reasons, but she knew they were going to be stubborn. But, as they've assured her, they would be sure to call her if anything happened.

Hopefully.

* * *

"We're waiting until we are given the signal, Link." Zelda tugged on Link's hand, chuckling slightly at his pout.

"But there's no vehicles coming our way…," he mumbled. Zelda had heard him loud and clear, though.

"Yes, I see that, but I kind of value my life at the moment so it's better to be safe than sorry," Zelda pointed out.

Link sighed in response to her, nodding his head to and forth. "Ah, I suppose."

A smile was given his way, and the two started walking when the signal to cross the street was shown to them. A few other people were walking with and/or passed them, so they weren't the only ones. It gave Zelda slight anxiety, especially if there was a chance of people catching them. Link didn't care, but he had started to care when a burly man accidentally bumped into him.

"A-ah, I—" Link turned around, stopping at the curb as he looked at the back of the walking man—"I'm sorry…" The man had walked away, so Link's words trailed off.

Zelda lead them further off the curb, but Link was glued to his spot as he stared with a puzzled gaze at the tall man's physique. A Gerudo male, he supposed. He found it odd, for there weren't many male Gerudos. If anything, there were almost _no_ Gerudo males. They'd almost gone extinct.

Zelda felt Link's hand tighten around hers, and she glanced down at their linked hands with confusion, maybe even concern. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, pouting slightly as she shifted their hands to intertwine them together.

"Hey," she called out. She looked up, but Link was looking at nothing but empty space. She tried to grab his attention by tugging on his hand a little hard, holding it with her other hand as well. "Hey. Link."

Link had to force himself to look at Zelda, his brow tense. "Yes?"

"Are...are you okay?" Zelda asked.

Zelda's worried expression made him ease a little, his face relaxing. His lips were parted and his words died in his throat when he tried to force them out of his chest. Instead, he tightened his lips and swallowed, looking ahead to find no man in sight.

"It's...nothing," he uttered. "But...he just...looks really familiar." He turned to Zelda, blinking when he saw the worry on her face not shifting. He smiled, instead, and used his free hand to scratch the back of his neck. "It's alright, though. Nothing big."

That time, Zelda rose an eyebrow. She wasn't buying it.

Link ignored it with a nervous laugh. "So...shall we continue our walk?"

It took the girl at his side a few moments to comprehend all that had happened in the span of a few seconds, but she nodded and let Link lead the way.

It irked her, just slightly, that Link had been quiet along the way. Well, quieter than usual. She had gotten used to hearing at least one word leave his mouth and grow into some kind of rant, so the silence made her sigh. It made her sigh loud enough for Link to hear her, which lead to his head turn to her direction.

"What?" he asked, softly. She wasn't answering and it made him worry a little bit more, so he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Hey, you okay?"

Zelda nodded solemnly, and he unknowingly got the silent treatment back. He was unsure of what to tell her to get words out of her system, but he figured it'd be better to playfully tease her about it.

"Hey," he started, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk but moving to the side to leave space for any other people that came along the way. He smiled slightly, trying to ease her worries. Luckily, the area was slightly secluded so if anyone saw it wouldn't be as embarrassing—not that he would've been embarrassed, anyway. More about privacy, really. "What's up?"

"It's nothing, I just…" Right when her words were going to come out, she closed her mouth and inhaled and exhaled a sigh, swallowing an irrelevant lump as she looked down. "It's nothing."

"Come on, tell me." Link grinned by then, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're ticklish somewhere, right? I can be those corny Hylians and tickle it out of you."

At the mention of being ticklish, Zelda's expression perked just a teeny weeny bit, so that made him broaden his smile all the more. He moved his hands down to her upper arms, raising an eyebrow. "Wanna tell me? Because you're obviously not okay."

"Um—" Zelda placed her hand over Link's, holding down one of his hands in case it moved any further—"later."

Link breathily laughed, nodding his head toward her. "You sure?"

That made Zelda smile herself, which resulted in a brightened expression on Link's features. She said, "Positively. Now, let's keep on walking before people think we're crazy."

Link didn't let Zelda leave until he moved forward to plant a soft kiss on her brow, which made both of the two blush minimally. He moved back, shifting the hand under Zelda's own to grab it and intertwining them, as always. "If anything, we're already crazy if we're the reincarnated heroes."

Zelda placed her hand over Link's mouth, shushing him harshly. "Link! Don't say that out loud in public." She contorted her face, moving her hand away from his mouth when he licked it with a smile.

He was saying, "It's okay. I said that quietly, and no one's here. Now—" he gestured to the Lost Woods' direction with his head—"the forest we go?"

Zelda sighed through her nostrils and laughed in disbelief, but she still smiled sincerely. "Yes, let's go."

* * *

"I feel so dirty."

Link stopped to watch the air, but he briefly turned to Zelda with a glance of confusion. "Huh?"

Zelda rephrased her words. "I mean—" Link started moving again, so her hand tightened just a little—"I've been wearing the same clothes that previously had dirt on them for two days. At least I showered but-"

"Zelda." Link stopped walking and turned around to completely face the rambling teenage girl. "You're fine." He smiled, and she felt her heart flutter. "If you're concerned that I think you look or smell bad, trust me when I say you're fine the way you are."

"Even if my clothes are dirty?" Zelda inquired, a shy look on her face. She was given a confident smile by the male in front of her.

"Even if you _or_ your clothes are dirty." Link gave her hand a squeeze before turning around to follow the wind. "It's kind of natural for someone to be dirty in some way, anyway."

"I suppose you're right."

After those words, it had become eerily silent. To Link, at least.

Zelda followed Link through the smog, and she couldn't help but think of the Master Sword and its hidden area.

The silence was becoming too much to bear, anyway.

"Link," she called out, grabbing half of his attention. He grunted in response, so she continued. "Um...what are we going to do about the sword anyway? I mean...what if nothing happens and that sword is just something we have because you were _destined_ to have it, for some reason."

 _Or maybe I'm just a fortunate guy to have been able to pull it out in the first place_ — "I don't know, but like we've discussed I'm pretty sure the Deku Tree will have our answers," Link said.

"Well, believe in yourself and maybe you'll get it soon enough— _we'll_ get it soon enough," Zelda rephrased.

Link bit the inside of his cheek as he found the entrance to his hangout, already knowing he'd made a remark and pushed further away from his beliefs in his mind. Simply, he grunted in response. Nothing else was left to say after that, but Zelda only followed behind Link as he made his way over to where the sword was buried. She merely watched as he released her hand and knelt down onto his knees.

"Can you, uh…" He had a small smile on his face when he looked up at Zelda. "Can you get me the shovel? I have a small gardening one in there," he nodded to their tree, "somewhere."

Zelda nodded, holding back her retort as she turned around to quickly make her way to their tree. She was going to ask why they didn't use the small shovel instead of the big one, but she realized he probably didn't want her to get her hands dirty. So, it was fair enough.

When she made it through the opening, she let the minimum amount of sunlight seek through the cracks and holes. Link didn't specify where the shovel may have been located, but she didn't want to interrupt him from the deep thoughts he seemed to have been having. If she just had to guess, he was probably pondering over the whole "Goddess' Chosen Hero" fiasco, as always. She didn't see a point as to why he was so determined to ignore the fact that he was chosen—she ignored the big shovel and grabbed the smaller one—as the hero. It was so...obviously obvious, as she'd put it.

Zelda was starting to head out of the tree, but a small, single jingle halted her movements. Her heart dropped, just slightly, in fear of something being in their area. She slowly turned her head to where she heard the sound—the couch's area—seeing nothing but unmoved furniture.

Her mouth opened, but her words came out croaky when she spoke. "Hello?" She felt stupid—talking to nothing—but she felt it necessary because if there really was someone there then they were screwed.

A few moments had passed since Zelda had heard the sound, so she decided it'd be best to leave and discuss it with Link, but she heard it again so she gripped the shovel tightly in her hand and cautiously walked over to the "living room". She found it best to say nothing and instead stared at the couch, inspecting it from a distance.

She waited for another jingle, but the thing thought it best to not do anything so she frustratingly groaned and quickly left the area and out into the forest.

Link had been staring at the direction of their tree when she came back, and the first thing Zelda saw was a smile grow on his face.

"I was getting kind of worried something happened." Link grabbed the shovel from Zelda and turned to the dirt, sitting on his knees. "You were taking quite a while longer than I originally thought you'd take."

"Oh." Zelda saw him dig into the dirt, carefully maneuvering around the flowers that time. "I, uh…" She debated on whether or not she should've told Link about the jingling, but she decided against it. She had a feeling she probably _was_ hallucinating...but...why would she be?

"I kind of...tripped." _More like tripped out, but_ —"I was trying to find it but I tripped on a root."

Link gave her a grunt, but he sent her a glance as he placed a few flowers to the side. "You okay?"

Zelda nodded, but she remembered he wasn't looking. "Yes. It didn't hurt, or anything, just a small fall."

Link was focused on not damaging the plants, so his signature grunt was his only response.

He placed a set of flowers aside, getting rid of the dirt that covered the Master Sword when he found a safe spot. His hands moved a few chunks of dirt to the side, but when he reached to grab the sword's hilt, the weapon had a small glow on its blade. Link turned his head back to Zelda, alarmingly, and looked back down to the sword as he pushed himself away.

"Did you see that?" Link almost stood up, but Zelda crouched down to see the problem up close.

"See what?" Zelda asked, crouching and reaching out to grab the sword herself. She picked it up, letting the weight fall on her hand. "It seems normal to me."

Link's mouth was hung open, just slightly, and he was unsure of what to say. He swore he _saw_ a glow on the sword's blade. He wasn't going crazy—maybe he was, actually, but he didn't want to make matters worse. Instead of saying anything, he sighed and moved back to sit next to Zelda, grabbing the sword by the hilt.

He was going to stab it in the ground to pick himself up, but the sword actually made...a sound, and it startled Link so much that he threw the sword a few feet away from his hands. He stood up, and he found himself standing next to a standing-Zelda.

"Okay, _now_ see it," claimed Zelda.

Link turned his head to her, pointing at the sword. "Did you hear it, too?"

Zelda shook her head, and it made Link drop his hands in disbelief. He leaned on one side of his leg, running his hand through his hair until it reached his hair tie. "But...how?" he breathed out. "It was kind of...loud."

"Okay, yes. I heard _something_ but it wasn't ridiculously loud, y'know? And," Zelda was saying, looking at the unmoved object ahead of them, "I saw a blue glow."

"Yes! That's it." Link smiled, relieved that he wasn't going crazy. But, he didn't know what to do; the Master Sword wasn't...quite acting like a sword. He shot a quick glance at Zelda before he walked over to the sword, bending down to hesitantly pick it up by the handle. He straightened his back, letting the flat side of the blade rest on his right hand.

 _Weird,_ he thought. Link was going to turn back to get to Zelda, but he felt the sword vibrate, and the sound and the light all emitted from it. His hands almost gave out on it, but he still held it. He was unsure of what was happening, but he decided it'd be best to ask the more...knowledgeable historian in the area.

"Do you have a hunch as to why the sword is acting up like this, Zelda?" Link walked over to Zelda and showed her the sword, waiting for something to happen. Anything.

...

"...Um, Link, I think I _might_ know," Zelda said after the moment of silence, holding out her hand right after as she stared at the sword's blade, "but I'll need to hold it for a second just to confirm it even more."

"Uh," he passed the sword over to Zelda, "okay."

He watched as she observed the sword, noticing how her lips pursed and her brow furrowed in thought. He found it adorable.

If anything went wrong and there really was an evil lurking around that he had to fight, Link pondered, at least he was able to find his first _actual_ true love.

While Link was getting mushy, Zelda was waiting for the sword to react to her. Nothing had happened for those moments, and it pushed her thought even further as to why it reacted like it did with Link.

"It's because you're the chosen hero," uttered Zelda, carefully turning the sword over in her hands.

Link blinked away from his thoughts and looked into her eyes. "Hm?"

"You're the new hero," repeated Zelda. She handed the sword over to Link, and once he touched it the sword blinked aglow again. "Which means you're the Chosen One and the sword's owner." Zelda nodded her head to the Master Sword, looking at it before glancing at Link. "I've heard that the Heroes long ago used to be able to talk to the Master Sword—most of them, at least."

Link scrunched up his face. "What do you mean 'talk to the Master Sword'?"

Zelda smiled slightly. "What I mean is—"she brought her hand up to softly place it on his cheek—"those noises it's making, it's trying to talk to you. _I_ can't hear it, and that's probably because I'm not the Hero of the Goddess."

"But... _you're_ technically a goddess, and the Goddess Hylia made this sword for the Hero, shouldn't _you_ be able to hear _something_ coherent?" Link placed his hand over her own that was on his cheek, pulling it off to hold it in his grasp.

Link's words brought Zelda to wonder, but she only shrugged in the end. "I dunno, maybe we can ask the Deku Tree about it whenever you have all your memories and you're confident about who you are."

"But I have all my memories," Link protested, squeezing her hand and letting the sword's tip rest in the dirt. "A-and I'm confident."

"Wrong." Zelda squeezed his hand back, and he frowned instead.

"But—"

"For one," said Zelda,"I know you don't have all of your memories because I know _with you_ it'll take some time, _especially_ since you're being stubborn about your status as a legendary hero."

Link had his mouth open in slight disbelief. Zelda wasn't wrong, that was for sure. But...it hit too close to home because _she was right._

Zelda continued her statement. "Anyways, you'll know when you're ready, trust me. It'll be soon, too—hopefully."

"I'm sure I'll one day get to my senses and start believing it." Link released the sword from the ground and eyed it. "Soon, maybe. It didn't take very long for you."

"Well," Zelda started walking to their tree, which made Link follow along, "I believe our lifestyles are kind of different, in this case. I grew up with…history itself without even knowing it, and you grew up as a regular kid—" she entered the tree and glanced over to the couch where the sound once was—"which...makes me believe it has to do with some kind of experience."

Link stood quiet, looking at the sword in his hands in deep thought. "I suppose," he mumbled.

Zelda saw Link concentrating on the sword, but she was able to see the look of disappointment on his face even more. She walked closer to him, placing her hand over the sword and gently pushed it down just a little bit to gain his attention.

Link looked up and into her eyes, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"I know what you're thinking—you're feeling doubtful now, aren't you?" asked Zelda.

Link blinked once and licked his lips unsure of how to form his words. "Um…," he shook his head, softly, "I wouldn't say... _doubtful_ , but I'm just mad—or, I guess, disappointed—that I can't get my memories sooner and believe that I used to be a legendary hero."

"With time, Link." Zelda gave him a soft smile and stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. "With time I believe you'll get it."

A soft sigh broke past Link's lips, and he gave Zelda a small smile to show her his gratitude. "Thank you," he had said, but there was something else he wanted to add. Link moved to feeling shy, and he gave Zelda's hand a small squeeze. "I...I love you."

Zelda seemed to have given off her own flustered expression, and she gave him a single nod before releasing his hand to cup his cheek and used her courage to bring him close to kiss him.

"I love you, too." Zelda smiled and moved back to where she was before, both red on the face.

No matter how many times they were open and affectionate, at that moment it had still left them flustered.

* * *

"Hey...I have a question to ask you." Link played with Zelda's hair and used the tips of her golden hair to brush against his cheek. He looked into her eyes when she nodded to let him ask his question, which was, "Why do you think the monarchy from centuries ago was the last one? We never really were given information from that because no one really knows why or how it ended."

Zelda shrugged immediately, no answer to his question. "I don't know. I've tried looking up on that for years but I've never found anything. Maybe...it's something left unrecorded? Or…"

"...or—" Link decided to answer for her—"it could be something left hidden?"

Zelda looked at him, and that was when she realized he could have been correct. "It...makes sense." She scoffed, lowering her voice with a small sneer. "Probably my father's doing. He hid those paintings of the princess and her partners! Who's to say he isn't hiding more information?"

Zelda sighed and leaned against Link when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to bring her close. He gave her his two-cents on her claim. "Well...maybe he is—you live in a historical building with your father hiding _many_ things, hence the books you brought over."

"There was also really old furniture—really dusty."

Link amusedly chuckled and rested his head on her own. "Do you think I'll ever visit your house one day?"

Zelda let out a sound of some sort, a disbelief-snort maybe. "I don't know, but I can't be positive it'll ever happen. With how my father is, especially him _knowing_ what could potentially happen he would want to rid of you real quick."

"But," Link started saying, removing himself from Zelda so that he could look her in the eyes, "that wouldn't make sense. I...can understand if he wanted me exiled for... _this_...but everything is already...set in place." He frowned. "I have the Master Sword, you're confirmed to be the Princess of Hyrule reborn with...some kind of power, I believe, we've seen the Great Deku Tree, and I'm supposed to be the Hero of Whatever now. I- _we_ are the only ones who can take down the monster that'll come one day."

Zelda only listened to what Link had to say, and all of what came out of his mouth had made a lot of sense. She merely nodded, leaning against the back of the couch. She was going to say something, but a jingle brought her attention away from the topic.

Zelda stood up very quickly, pointing to the couch as if she had discovered something brilliant. "That!"

"What?" Link stood up as well, slightly scared but curious as to what it was. "What was _that_?"

"I-I've heard it before." Zelda turned to Link. "When you were out there waiting for me to bring the shovel. That's why I took a while, I was trying to figure out what that sound was!"

"So…" Link looked at Zelda right as she walked over to the couch, so he was looking at her back, "you didn't actually trip?"

Zelda shook her head, and she used her hands to grab the corner of the back of the couch, nodding for Link to help her with the other side. "Can you help me pull this out?"

Link was confused as to what she wanted to do, but he complied.

When the couch was pushed out of its original spot, Zelda screamed in fright when she saw what was behind the couch and jumped back almost a whole foot.

"What, what is it?" Link rushed over to Zelda and held her by the shoulders from behind, making sure she was stable and okay. "What'd you see?"

Zelda looked at Link in the eyes, slight panic in them. "I...I-I—" Instead of saying anything else, she pushed Link to go look at what it was she saw. Link looked behind the couch, and he himself screamed in fright seeing what was there, as well.

"A Korok?!"

"Yahaha!" The little creature jumped out of the spot it had been hiding in and stepped onto the cushions of the couch itself, watching as the two kids in front of it were both frightened and shocked. "You found me!"

Both Link and Zelda were mentally observing what the Korok looked like, and it had a weirdly shaped leaf on its...face—head? They weren't sure; it didn't have a neck.

"U-uh, yeah!" Zelda was the brave, tentative one to speak up, still hiding a little behind the man in the room.

Link blindly reached behind him to tap her side and gave her a small smile over his shoulder, looking back at the creature right after. "Um," he was saying, "are you a...Korok?"

"Yup!" The little thing jumped off of the couch, letting out a whine when it hit the ground too hard and lost its balance for how small the legs on it was. "Whoops."

Zelda silently "aw"ed without knowing it, and Link chuckled at the little fella. "It's kind of cute," Zelda whispered over Link's shoulder, and he nodded in agreement with her.

"I mean, kind of freaked out, but it's…," Link's eyes followed the Korok as it waddled over to them, "still cute."

"Mr. Hero? Is that you?" The Korok moved its eyes from Link to Zelda, and it brightened up. "Princess!"

Both Link and Zelda looked at each other, an odd pang in their hearts hearing the Korok think they were...who it used to know. They continued to look at each other, a mental fight on who will tell the Korok the truth, but Link lost the battle and felt Zelda remove herself from holding onto his shoulder and as he said, "K-Korok… Zelda and I…," he pointed in between them, "we aren't the Hero and the Princess that you used to know…"

If the Korok could tilt its head it would have looked like it. "What do you mean?" The Korok pointed with its stick at Link. "You're the hero who's going to save the land," it pointed the stick to Zelda, who was now side by side with Link, "and _you're_ the Princess of Hyrule."

Zelda and Link looked at each other, and the Zelda was able to just _hear_ Link's heart drop after hearing he _was_ actually supposed to save the land. Whereas for Zelda herself, she was just confused as to how the Korok knew such things.

"First of all," Link exclaimed, "how are you alive?"

"I never died, silly!" The Korok's voice broke the teen's eye contact, and it jingled once again. "I'm already a spirit, ya know? I don't believe we die since we're kind of already dead. Well, that's what I was told."

Hearing the little guy say something so...depressing made the duo's heart clench. They both had already known about the Koroks' origin, but to know that the Koroks were once people by a Korok _itself_ was something in another light.

"Second of all," Zelda added on to switch the mood, "how do you know about Mr. Hero and I being the, well, Hero and Princess?"

Link pursed his lips are hearing Zelda use the nickname the Korok had for him, and the Korok merely jingled. "It's simple! My dad told us there were to be new heroes sometime soon and he told us recently that they're here!"

"Dad?" Link inquired.

"The Great Deku Tree!" The Korok's voice became even more cheery. "He watches over us! The Spirits of the Forest!"

"Is he really your dad?" Zelda asked. She was given something akin to a shrug.

"Dunno, but he raised me so I consider him as my father...also, he said we're his dearest children so I suppose so!"

Link chuckled, his face breaking into a smile without control. Zelda watched as that happened, and she couldn't help but smile as well. So, they really _were_ the ones who would stop the great evil that would come through eventually...which means—

"Wait a minute, so it's _confirmed_ that Zelda and I _are_ the ones who need to fight some big dude?" Link had everything hit him right at that moment, and his breath couldn't have labored even more.

"Indeed so. And," The Korok walked over to Link and tapped his knee with his stick, looking up at him, "it's not just some _big dude_. It's a greater evil that can potentially destroy this whole country."

"Jeez, thanks, little guy," Link said, somewhat sarcastically. He took a deep breath, not wanting to imagine that the whole of his country was on his shoulders… Except...that was exactly what was going on.

"Do you…," Zelda stepped up, crouching down to talk to the Korok, "do you know when it will come?"

The Korok jingled and shook the head it had, sticking the stick into the ground and leaning on it. "Nope. That I do not know, Princess Zelda."

"Zelda is just fine, Korok." Zelda smiled and moved back up on her feet. She looked at Link and frowned when she saw how much stress he had going on at that moment.

"I have a name, guys! My name's Jaak."

That announcement of the Korok's name brought Link out of his negatives. "Jaak?"

Jaak nodded and waddled over to the couch, trying to jump to reach for it the edge, "Yes, Mr. Hero! But, I should get going, I'm a little sleepy."

Link laughed, feeling more light in the chest and walked over to Jaak and bent down to pick him up. Jaak let out a noise of surprise and jingled, steadying himself to not fall off of his hands. He thanked Link when he set him behind the couch, Zelda watching from the side with a smile on her face.

"Goodnight, you guys! Good luck with your adventure!" Jaak laughed and waved to Zelda when she peered her head over the couch.

"Where do you go from there?" she asked.

"There's a hole there, you see?" Jaak used his stick to point at the hole with a top taken off behind the couch next to him, fit for a small being. "I go there and it leads me to my house!"

Zelda laughed, smiling warm-heartedly to the Korok. "Alright, then. See you later, Jaak. Thanks for everything."

Jaak waved once more before jumping into the hole, his stick closing it right after.

Zelda stayed staring at the closed hole for a while, many thoughts swarming her head like— _Who's the evil guy? Is it Calamity Ganon? What if it's a human? What if he's here, right now. In Hyrule. Planning every-_

"Zelda, um…"

Zelda turned around, facing Link. She was going to ask how he was doing, but she knew he wasn't doing well by the looks of it. "Link-"

"Zelda, I-I feel...like..." Link's eyes rolled to the back of his head and his eyelids closed right as his knees gave out on him. He landed on the dirt below, face first, and Zelda let out a scream of worry while she rushed over to his side. She rolled him over, supporting his head as he was knocked out cold.

 _Oh, my goddesses, what do I do?! Is he…_ Zelda hesitantly placed her ear over his chest, trying to hear for a heartbeat.

Luckily, she had found one.

 _He's just unconscious. Oh, thank the gods above._ Zelda released a breath of relief and placed her forehead over Link's, simply holding him. "I thought you randomly lost your life, or something," Zelda mumbled to Link. She knew he couldn't hear, but it was a good reassurance that he was okay.

She removed herself from his forehead, planting a soft kiss on it instead. She set him down gently and stood up. She walked to grab his ankles to drag him to the middle of the tree, since she was incapable of carrying him.

When she made it over there, with some effort, she let out a breath and looked around for the makeshift bed. Which wasn't very far, actually, so she strode over to it and grabbed the pillow and blanket. Fortunately—for her—the bed was pretty large so the blanket and pillow were as well—fit for two people. She would have placed him there, but she wasn't capable of picking him up, once again.

 _I guess Link likes to sleep with a lot of space around him_ , Zelda thought. She referred back to his own bed, which had barely managed to fit the two of them. _It was also…where our first kiss happened._ Zelda couldn't help the smile that crept up on her face at the thought of the kiss that started something she had never even dreamed of.

She had a gentle smile on her face as she spread the blanket over Link's torso as neatly as she could. She pushed his arms inside, folded them over his stomach, took off his shoes, and grabbed the pillow to place under his head right after it was lifted by her.

By then, Zelda had felt just as fatigued as Link probably was. Actually, probably less since he was passed out but she was still tired.

Zelda took off her shoes and set them off the side, picking up the cover and sliding onto the...ground with Link.

She didn't know what to do since they were pretty much a couple. Should she have hugged him? Held him, maybe? She didn't know. Maybe, she had thought, that it would have been better to wait and see what happened overnight—or over-something because the sun was still up, it seemed, so she was unaware of how long they would've slept or napped for—as a natural occurrence.

In the end, she settled for cuddling into his side.

 **It has been months and I apologize haha. I've been really busy with school but then even during summer break I had gotten even busier. I have a really fun idea I have for a story right after this one, so I'm excited for that. It is Zelink and botw related, except it is in the original timeline and not modern. Sorry if this wasn't the best either, haven't written very much in a long while haha. But, I have the next chapter and some of the one after already drafted, so all I'll need it just to write it. Not sure how long that will take, but I hope soon :)**

 **I'm a 10th grader now, though, and with my age and intelligence I really want to try and improve and expand my writing and vocabulary throughout the school year since I know most things already, just not enough, I believe. Thank you so much for over 110 follows though I really didn't expect to get to there :') I have the ending for this fanfic done already, as well (the draft actually) but let's see how far this story will go on.**

 **Till next time. Excuse my mistakes please**


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